French court suspends genocide probe into Rwanda’s former First Lady over lack of evidence
According to the court, there is insufficient evidence to link the 82-year-old widow of former President Juvenal Habyarimana to the genocide.
A French Court of Appeal has ruled that ongoing investigations into former Rwanda First Lady Agathe Kanziga Habyarimana's alleged involvement in the 1994 Rwanda genocide will be suspended, at least for now.
According to the court, there is insufficient evidence to link the 82-year-old widow of former President Juvenal Habyarimana to the genocide, which began on April 7 and claimed the lives of over 800,000 people, mostly Tutsis, within a span of 100 days.
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The decree references a petition lodged by the French National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office, which sought that the probe into Kanziga continue.
The prosecution also requested the court to expand the case to cover possible charges of conspiracy to commit genocide and crimes against humanity and to extend the timeframe of the alleged crimes to include the period before the genocide, beginning March 1, 1994.
Kanziga is alleged to have been part of the 'Akazu,' an inner circle of Hutu extremists who reportedly orchestrated and executed the Genocide
"Today's decision was about a small but important aspect of the case. The court had to determine whether the judge should continue his investigation pending the final verdict or uphold his conclusion that the investigation should be closed. The court opted for the latter," Richard Gisagara, a Rwandan lawyer based in France, told The New Times.
However, Gisagara clarified that the decision does not mean that the case has been dropped entirely.
"The court will now review all submissions from both sides and is expected to issue a final ruling within three months. Still, even if the case is dismissed, the prosecution and civil parties can still appeal the decision," he said.
The case against Kanziga was instituted in February 2007 after the French human rights organisation Collectif des Parties Civiles pour le Rwanda (CPCR) filed a petition linking her to the genocide.
In February 2022, a French judge initially moved to close the case, indicating it would likely be dismissed.
However, in March 2025, the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office renewed efforts to reopen the investigation, citing fresh grounds and proposing additional charges.
"We still hope for an indictment. Why wait 17 years if not to bury the case? If Kanziga had been tried, it could have shed more light on the role of the French state during the Genocide. Refusing to try her risks leaving a dark chapter of Rwanda's history in the shadows," added Alain Gauthier, president of CPCR.
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