Pascal Simbikangwa, first Rwandan tried in France, may face heavy sentence if the prosecution qualifies charges against him as Genocide crimes rather than Genocide complicity.
After five weeks of hearing, the lawyer Bruno Sturlese asked Thursday that a subsidiary issue in that sense be put to the jury, saying that “the discussions showed that Mr. Simbikangwa was not guilty of complicity in genocide but the crime of genocide.” In these circumstances, Simbikangwa will be considered as a Genocide Author than accomplice of the Genocide and if the court decides that the defendant is guilty, it may therefore choose genocide or crimes against humanity and complicity of one or the other.
After four years of investigations, investigating magistrates had preferred to try the ex-officer of the presidential guard for Genocide complicity.
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