French prosecutors drop charges against widow of former Rwandan Pres. Habyarimana
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"France drops genocide probe against ex-Rwandan First Lady after 16-year investigation."
French judicial authorities have officially dropped a long-running investigation into Agathe Habyarimana, widow of former Rwandan President Juvénal Habyarimana, over her alleged involvement in the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
Agathe, also known as Agathe Kanziga Habyarimana, had been under investigation in France since 2008, following accusations that she played a role in orchestrating atrocities during the genocide that claimed approximately 800,000 lives, primarily Tutsis and moderate Hutus.
The French National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT) had previously submitted an appeal in March seeking formal charges against her for genocide and crimes against humanity. However, prosecutors have now confirmed the case has been dismissed.
Agathe, now 82, has long been suspected of being a key figure in the “Akazu”, a powerful inner circle of Hutu elites accused of planning and directing the genocide. Despite the persistent allegations, she has denied any involvement.
She was evacuated to France with her family on April 9, 1994, just days after the genocide began, under orders from then-French President François Mitterrand, a close ally of her late husband. Since 1998, she has resided in France without legal immigration status.
Rwanda has repeatedly sought her extradition, but France has consistently declined, citing legal and procedural concerns.
The case was initially triggered by a 2008 complaint filed by the Civil Parties Collective for Rwanda (CPCR), a French civil society group advocating for justice for genocide victims. In February 2022, an investigating judge had already indicated the case was likely to be closed, citing the length and complexity of the investigation.
PNAT, however, sought additional hearings in August 2022, calling the case “one of the most intricate” still under review at the time.
The 1994 genocide, one of the worst atrocities of the 20th century, saw ethnic tensions explode into mass killings led by the Rwandan Armed Forces and Hutu extremist militias after President Habyarimana’s plane was shot down—an event often viewed as the catalyst for the genocide.
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