Désiré Munyaneza
Encyclopedia
Désiré Munyaneza is a Rwanda
n businessman and convicted war criminal who was living in Toronto
, Ontario
, Canada
, before being imprisoned. He is the first man to be arrested and convicted in Canada on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, for his role in the 1994 Rwandan Genocide
. He was sent to jail in October 2009.
announced it had detained Munyaneza under the Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act
with charges for two counts of genocide, two counts of crimes against humanity and three counts of war crimes.
Munyaneza was the first person to be arrested under that law, which was passed to give formal recognition to Canada's obligations to the International Criminal Court
.
Munyaneza committed the acts near Butare
, Rwanda
in 1994.
gangs.
On April 10, a witness known as C-17 testified that Munyaneza had raped her four times, and that she had witnessed him personally raping and killing others.
On April 11, Munyaneza was severely beaten in his cell at the Rivières-des-Prairies prison by a 17-year-old who had heard about the details of Munyaneza's trial in the media.
On May 22, 2009, Munyaneza, 42 years old, was convicted on seven counts related to genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. The offenses fall under Canada's Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act, which allows residents to be tried for crimes committed abroad. Munyaneza is the first person to be convicted under the Canadian law. The trial, held in Montreal
, saw sixty-six people testify in court. Many had their identities hidden.
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
n businessman and convicted war criminal who was living in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, before being imprisoned. He is the first man to be arrested and convicted in Canada on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, for his role in the 1994 Rwandan Genocide
Rwandan Genocide
The Rwandan Genocide was the 1994 mass murder of an estimated 800,000 people in the small East African nation of Rwanda. Over the course of approximately 100 days through mid-July, over 500,000 people were killed, according to a Human Rights Watch estimate...
. He was sent to jail in October 2009.
Arrest
On October 19, 2005, the Royal Canadian Mounted PoliceRoyal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
announced it had detained Munyaneza under the Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act
Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act
The Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act is a statute of the Parliament of Canada. The Act implements Canada's obligations under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court...
with charges for two counts of genocide, two counts of crimes against humanity and three counts of war crimes.
Munyaneza was the first person to be arrested under that law, which was passed to give formal recognition to Canada's obligations to the International Criminal Court
International Criminal Court
The International Criminal Court is a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression .It came into being on 1 July 2002—the date its founding treaty, the Rome Statute of the...
.
Munyaneza committed the acts near Butare
Butare
Butare is a city in the Southern Province of Rwanda and capital of Huye district. It was the capital of the former Butare Province, Rwanda, that was dissolved on January 1, 2006....
, Rwanda
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
in 1994.
Trial
Munyaneza's trial began in March 2007 with the testimony of a woman, identified only as witness C-15, who stated that she had pretended to be dead for three days and smeared her sister's blood on her body in order to hide from InterahamweInterahamwe
The Interahamwe is a Hutu paramilitary organization. The militia enjoyed the backing of the Hutu-led government leading up to, during, and after the Rwandan Genocide. Since the genocide, they have been forced out of Rwanda, and have sought asylum in Congo...
gangs.
On April 10, a witness known as C-17 testified that Munyaneza had raped her four times, and that she had witnessed him personally raping and killing others.
On April 11, Munyaneza was severely beaten in his cell at the Rivières-des-Prairies prison by a 17-year-old who had heard about the details of Munyaneza's trial in the media.
On May 22, 2009, Munyaneza, 42 years old, was convicted on seven counts related to genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. The offenses fall under Canada's Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act, which allows residents to be tried for crimes committed abroad. Munyaneza is the first person to be convicted under the Canadian law. The trial, held in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, saw sixty-six people testify in court. Many had their identities hidden.
Sentence
On October 29, 2009, Munyaneza was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years. It is the lengthiest sentence which can be handed down under Canadian law. Canadian law stated that Munyaneza's criminal activities were the "worst in existence". The judge referred to the sentence as "severe". It is anticipated that Munyaneza will appeal the sentence. Munyaneza's lawyer thought he should be imprisoned for just twenty years. Emmanuel Muhawenimena, who said he lost 70 family members in the genocide, said "So many Rwandans in Montreal, across Canada, all over the world, they are happy today."External links
- Article on Munyaneza at Trial Watch
- GREPIH, Working Group in International Criminal and Humanitarian Law, a student organization of the UQAM which supervises the monitoring of the Munyaneza trial.