Karasira once served as a lecturer at the University of Rwanda. His trial in substance before Nyarugenge Intermediary Court was due on Monday 30th May 2022.
His trial has been postponed after refusing to stand trial. Karasira told the court that he is sick and has not yet received medicaments. Karasira said that he is suffering from diabetes, depression, cardiovascular disease and mental illness.
After hearing the accused, the court postponed the trial to 7th July 2022.
Karasira last appeared before in February. At the time, he requested adjournment of the trial because he wanted to be tried in-person.
Ndikuryayo is accused of having assaulted two girls aged 14 and their colleague aged 16 on 2nd May 2022. He was arrested three days later on 5th May.
The court said that the priest beat them with intentions to enforce discipline and remind them to become more responsible students.
The court released him on bail taking into account the fact that the priest was punishing them over committed mistakes, parents did not take children to another school, one parent sent a letter forgiving father Ndikuryayo in addition to the surety presented by the Bishop of Kabgayi Diocese, Smaragde Mbonyintege.
The court also ordered the priest to stay at the residence of Bishop Mbonyintege and not to appear at the facility before end of this school year.
The court revealed that the decision was reached on grounds of evidences provided by the Prosecution noting that Ishimwe must be remanded for the sake of fair justice awaiting trial in substance.
Ishimwe is facing three charges related to sexual abuse against some of participants of Miss Rwanda beauty pageant which he organized for long.
These include rape, soliciting or offering sexual favours, and harassment connected to sexual relations.
The court has however said that there is no evidence pinning him to this crime.
On offering sexual favours, the court said that the accusation should be maintained since the suspect does not make clear how he would induce happiness to one of girls accusing him.
The court also resolved that the allegation of harassment related to sexual favours must be maintained considering the fact that the suspect went for a trip with a girl and called her during night hours asking for sexual relations.
Kicukiro Primary Court has taken the decision on the request of the Prosecution.
As the hearing began, the Prosecutor requested the session be held behind closed doors for security of witnesses and abused victims.
Ishimwe has however maintained that the hearing should not be held behind closed doors because his arrest and faced charges were made public.
Ishimwe said that he should be granted his rights in the court case by having proceedings held in camera.
His defence lawyer also objected that the request of the Prosecution has other motives behind not for the sake of witnesses’ security. She revealed that the Prosecution’s reasons pushed forward should be ignored on the basis of being unfounded.
She further explained that her client cannot threaten security of witnesses because he is arrested.
After hearing both sides, the presiding judge ruled in favour of holding the session in camera and asked the crowd including journalists to step out for the hearing session to continue.
Ishimwe, the CEO of Rwanda Inspiration Backup which organizes Miss Rwanda beauty pageant was arrested recently accused of sexual abuse.
He faces three charges including rape, soliciting or offering sexual favours, and harassment connected to sexual relations.
The defence lawyer of Prince Kid, Emelyne Nyembo, who arrived late, has told the court that she was not well informed about the hearing. Nyembo explained that she only knew the day but was not aware of the exact time the hearing was set to begin.
Nyembo told the court that she needs enough time for preparations to be able to defend her client.
The defence lawyer also objected that the Prosecution is considering the remand of her client based on testimonies given during investigations noting that complete details of the dossier should be communicated to them before further proceedings.
Ishimwe has confirmed that he has not yet received his dossier. Nyembo informed the court that one day would be enough to review the dossier.
The Prosecution said that it is the right of the accused to see their dossier but insisted that details were shared with everyone concerned. However, the defence laywer checked and failed to access the file in Integrated Electronic Case Management System (IECMS).
The presiding judge asked the Prosecution to help Ishimwe and his defence lawyer to access their dossier to make preparations.
The court adjourned the hearing to 13th May 2022 at 9:00 a.m.
Prince Kid faces three charges including rape, soliciting or offering sexual favours, and harassment connected to sexual relations.
Urayeneza, who was the Director General of the Ruhango-based Gitwe Hospital and the legal representative and founder of Gitwe University, was arrested in June 2020, along with several other individuals on accusations of committing genocide crimes and covering them up.
The arrest came after several remains were unearthed from hidden graves in the hospital premises.
Urayeneza had been handed life sentence by Muhanga Intermediary Court over complicity to commit Genocide and concealing evidence but appealed against the verdict.
He denied all charges during trial proceedings.
Urayeneza was acquitted on Thursday 31st March 2022 along with co-accused individuals including Samuel Nyakayiro, Dominique Rutaganda and Elise Nsengiyaremye.
These individuals had been handed eight-year jail term.
The court also convicted a co-accused of complicity in Genocide but acquitted him of the charge of concealing evidences. He was sentenced to 25 years.
Regarding remains of Genocide victims which Urayeneza was accused of hiding, the court considered testimonies of former Bourgmestre Alphonse Habiyambere who revealed that retrieved remains would not be buried before the go ahead from Gitarama Prefecture.
Elise Nsengiyaremye who once served as a leader and President of Gacaca court in Karambo was accused of hiding documents containing evidences gathered during hearings of Urayeneza. The court acquitted him on grounds of lacking enough evidences pinning him.
Leon Munyampundu Alias Kinihira who was found guilty had admitted, during Gacaca court hearings, that he killed a person and dumped him/her in a latrine.
It was revealed that he also owned a gun as per testimonies of witnesses who saw him at road blocks mounted to kill Tutsis. The court handed him 25-year sentence.
Urayeneza and co-accused have been serving their sentence in Muhanga Prison prior to the acquittal.
The adjournment was announced by the President of the Court of Appeal, François Regis Rukundakuvuga.
He revealed that the ruling is postponed to 4th April 2022 at 9:00 a.m.
The ruling on the appeal against the 21 accused individuals sentenced in September 2021, was expected to be read on Monday 21st March 2022.
The decision was announced virtually where the accused followed the event from prison while the Prosecution, one defence lawyer and judges were present in-person at the court.
Rusesabagina who did not appeal against the 25-year jail term, had boycotted the court during trial proceedings citing zero expectation of fair trial. He was also absent during today’s session.
On 20th September 2021, the High Court Special Chamber for International and Cross-border crimes convicted these individuals of different charges including terrorism.
The High Court Chamber for International and Cross-Border Crimes convicted former President of MRCD-FLN terrorist group, Paul Rusesabagina of terrorism charges and handed him 25-year jail term while Callixte Nsabimana alias Sankara, the former spokesperson for the terror group was sentenced to 20 years behind bars.
The remaining nineteen co-accused individuals were sentenced from three to 20 years.
Following the ruling, the accused, plaintiffs and the Prosecution were given 30 days for appeal
Later on, it was said that 13 of convicts and 74 survivors of FLN attacks who sought compensation expressed dissatisfaction with the judgment separately and filed an appeal.
During trial proceedings, 94 survivors of the attacks sought over Rwf1 billion but the court resolved that few of them would get compensated and the amount was below demanded compensation.
Towards the end of last year; the Prosecutor General, Aimable Havugiyaremye said that the appeal was filed following dissatisfaction with verdicts.
He also revealed that the Prosecution was not happy with the acquittal of Rusesabagina on the formation of an irregular armed group and handed sentence among others.
The convicts faced charges including the formation of an irregular armed group, membership of a terrorist group, financing terrorism, murder as an act of terrorism, arson as an act of terrorism, attempted murder as an act of terrorism, and assault and battery as an act of terrorism.
The crimes were committed since 2018 when MRDC/FLN combatants plotted attacks to Rwanda which claimed lives of nine innocent residents in the Southern Province.
They left many others gravely injured, and caused significant material and economic damage in South-West Rwanda.
Nyamvumba is accused of soliciting a bribe worth Rwf7.2 billion from Javier Elizalde, a Spanish investor who had submitted and won a tender to set up street lighting in Rwanda. The tender was won in in 2019 and priced at Rwf72 billion to light up streets on 955.8 Km but later on reduced to Rwf48.4billion after the budget revision.
After the tender process was finally approved and submitted for funding to the Ministry of Finance, the Prosecution revealed, Nyamvumba contacted Elizalde (who was not in Rwanda) in January 2020 asking for an urgent meeting over the tender progress.
The duo finally managed to meet in one of the hotels in Kigali in the same month, where Elizalde in his testimony stated that Nyamvumba asked for 10% commission to have the tender processed faster.
Elizalde is said to have been deceived over the request and subsequently informed the Rwanda Investigation Bureau for further investigation.
Prosecution said that investigators collected evidence from testimonies of some of the ministry’s officials who confirmed the alleged intent to solicit a bribe in the name of the infrastructure’s ministry.
During trial proceedings in 2020, Nyamvumba denied involvement in the alleged charges citing inconsistences in prosecution evidence.
On 29th September 2020, the Nyarugenge Intermediate Court found him guilty of accused crimes, handed him six-year jail term and slapped him with Rwf21 billion fine.
Towards the beginning of January, Nyambumba filed an appeal where he changed his plea to guilty, confessed for his crimes and requested leniency noting that he doesn’t have means to pay the fine slapped on him.
He also asked forgiveness to President of the Republic and Rwandans in general.
Nyamvumba admitted to have acted as a link between a businessman identified as Damascène Niyomugabo who had accepted a commission of 10% (Rwf7 billion) once he successfully helps him to work with Elizalde.
As the court read the ruling on 7th February 2022, the sentence was reduced by more than a half while the fine was reduced to Rwf50 million.
Sankara appealed for leniency on Monday 31st January 2022 appearing before the Court of Appeal along with co-accused individuals convicted of terrorism charges.
On 20th September 2021, the High Court Special Chamber for International and Cross-border crimes convicted former President of MRCD-FLN terrorist group, Paul Rusesabagina of terrorism charges and handed him 25-year jail term while Callixte Nsabimana alias Sankara, the former spokesperson for the terror group was sentenced to 20 years behind bars.
The remaining nineteen co-accused individuals were sentenced from three to 20 years.
Following the ruling, the accused, plaintiffs and the Prosecution were given 30 days for appeal.
Later on, it was said that 13 of convicts and 74 survivors of FLN attacks who sought compensation expressed dissatisfaction with the judgment separately and filed an appeal.
During trial proceedings, 94 survivors of the attacks sought over Rwf1 billion but the court resolved that few of them would get compensated and the amount was below demanded compensation. Towards the end of last year; the Prosecutor General, Aimable Havugiyaremye said that the appeal was filed following dissatisfaction with verdicts.
He also revealed that the Prosecution was not happy with the acquittal of Rusesabagina on the formation of an irregular armed group and handed sentence among others.
Rusesabagina who did not appeal against the 25-year jail term, had boycotted the court during trial proceedings citing zero expectation of fair trial.
The convicts faced charges including the formation of an irregular armed group, membership of a terrorist group, financing terrorism, murder as an act of terrorism, arson as an act of terrorism, attempted murder as an act of terrorism, and assault and battery as an act of terrorism.
The crimes were committed since 2018 when MRDC/FLN combatants plotted attacks to Rwanda which claimed lives of nine innocent residents in the Southern Province.
They left many others gravely injured, and caused significant material and economic damage in South-West Rwanda.
As the appeal hearing resumed on 31st January 2022, only 19 convicts appeared before court in-person while Matakamba Jean Berchmans attended virtually from Mageragere Prison.
Today’s court session saw the accused appealing against their sentence. It was postponed on 28th January 2022 due to the absence of Herman Twajamahoro, the defense lawyer of three convicts.
Appearing before the court, seven of the accused individuals have requested lenient punishment while five sought suspended sentence.
The seven individuals seeking lenient punishment requested the court to consider different reasons including the fact that they are brought to court for the first time, pleading guilty during interrogations and trial in substance.
Sankara said the court needs to consider that the 20-year jail term deprived him of his chance to be reintegrated into Rwandan community, that he would complete the sentence in his advanced ages (57).
Sankara told the court that he endured suffering since he was aged 12 when he lost both parents and six siblings.
He told the court that having publicly distanced himself against his political party RRM and MRCD/FLN, his poor health conditions suffering from blood pressure and stomachache should be considered to hand him a lenient punishment.
Sankara said that he became an enemy of countries he accused of having supported FLN including Burundi, Uganda and the former President of Zambia, Edgar Lungu noting that he has become a changed man who want to be loyal to the Government of Rwanda where he is assured of safety and contribute to national development.
Among others, the former FLN spokesperson requested the court to consider the fact that there are FLN combatants who were taken to Mutobo Demobilization Center as well as other Genocide suspects who received lenient punishments and reintegrated into the Rwandan community after pleading guilty and apologizing.
“As I have been doing it during interrogation, to the Prosecution, High Court and in front of you, I apologize again for what happened and promise you to become an exemplary citizen, abiding by all laws of the country once you grant me the chance of receiving a reduced sentence to be reintegrated into Rwandan community,” Sankara said.
His defence lawyer, Jean Rugeyo also supported his clients’ request highlighting that Sankara has become a changed man ready to contribute to his nation’s development with no intentions to drag himself into criminal acts again.
The Presiding Judge, François Regis Rukundakuvuga asked Rugeyo what he thinks is inappropriate in the High Court’s decision. He replied that the court did not reduce the jail term as per client’s wishes.
Sankara said that he doesn’t want to be acquitted because he is aware of the severity of the crimes he committed but requested for a kind of punishment that rehabilitates him into a more responsible citizen.
The Prosecution has requested the court to reject the appeal noting that it is not founded.
On 20th September 2021, the High Court Special Chamber for International and Cross-border crimes convicted them of different charges including terrorism.
The court convicted former President of MRCD-FLN terrorist group, Paul Rusesabagina of terrorism charges and handed him 25-year jail term while Callixte Nsabimana alias Sankara, the former spokesperson for the terror group was sentenced to 20 years behind bars.
The remaining nineteen co-accused individuals were sentenced from three to 20 years.
Following the ruling, the accused, plaintiffs and the Prosecution were given 30 days for appeal
Later on, it was said that 13 of convicts and 74 survivors of FLN attacks who sought compensation expressed dissatisfaction with the judgment separately and filed an appeal.
During trial proceedings, 94 survivors of the attacks sought over Rwf1 billion but the court resolved that few of them would get compensated and the amount was below demanded compensation.
Towards the end of last year; the Prosecutor General, Aimable Havugiyaremye said that the appeal was filed following dissatisfaction with verdicts.
He also revealed that the Prosecution was not happy with the acquittal of Rusesabagina on the formation of an irregular armed group and handed sentence among others.
Rusesabagina who did not appeal against the 25-year jail term, had boycotted the court during trial proceedings citing zero expectation of fair trial.
The convicts faced charges including the formation of an irregular armed group, membership of a terrorist group, financing terrorism, murder as an act of terrorism, arson as an act of terrorism, attempted murder as an act of terrorism, and assault and battery as an act of terrorism.
The crimes were committed since 2018 when MRDC/FLN combatants plotted attacks to Rwanda which claimed lives of nine innocent residents in the Southern Province.
They left many others gravely injured, and caused significant material and economic damage in South-West Rwanda.
