Witness Accuses Muhayimana’s Lawyer of Attempting to Mislead Judges

Paris, February 18, 2026 - A witness convicted of involvement in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi testified before the Appeals Chamber of the Paris People’s Court, alleging that Claude Muhayimana’s representative attempted to influence him to give misleading testimony to protect Muhayimana from conviction. The witness, a former teacher who admitted participating in Interahamwe patrols and attacks against Tutsi, explained that he was sentenced by a Gacaca Court in 2006 or 2007 to 12 years in prison for his role in the killings. Witness Details Muhayimana’s Involvement The witness recounted seeing Muhayimana drive a blue Daihatsu transporting Interahamwe members, armed men, and gendarmes to the Bisesero hills in Kibuye Prefecture, where Tutsi civilians were attacked. “From April, when the genocide began, until July, the vehicles were used across all communes of Kibuye Prefecture, hunting Tutsi in the mountains,” the witness told the court. During the investigation, Muhayimana, through his lawyer, contacted the witness asking about life in Rwanda and the progress of the case. The witness provided information but later said the lawyer instructed him to give less incriminating testimony, claiming foreign judges would not distinguish truth from falsehood. “He asked me to give a less incriminating testimony so that the judges would not be able to understand the truth,” the witness said, describing how he provided a confusing statement on October 16, 2013. Document Controversy The witness also testified about a search of Muhayimana’s home, where authorities found a document listing witnesses, their families, and staff of the French Office for the Fight against Crimes against Humanity (OCLCH). The witness denied providing the names of French personnel and said Muhayimana had lied about his access to this information. When Muhayimana claimed that the Rwandan government had trained witnesses to lie against him, the witness rejected the allegation, stating that his testimony was truthful and based on firsthand knowledge of the events. Conviction and Appeal In December 2021, the Paris International Criminal Court convicted Muhayimana of genocide and crimes against humanity, sentencing him to 14 years in prison. The court determined that he had led the Interahamwe militia responsible for killing Tutsi, a charge Muhayimana has consistently denied. The appeal hearing, which began on February 3, 2026, is focused on Muhayimana’s efforts to overturn his convictions and secure release. The testimony presented by the witness highlights allegations of witness tampering and attempts to mislead the court, central to the appeal proceedings.