Thursday, Nov. 5, 2009

Former senior Rwandan executive jailed for 8 years

ARUSHA, Tanzania (AP) - A United Nations war crimes tribunal has sentenced the former chief of Rwanda's tea marketing agency to eight years in prison for his role in the country's 1994 genocide.

Michael Bagaragaza, 64, had pleaded guilty to "complicity to commit genocide" in September. He was a member of the party that was in power during the 100-day slaughter of members of the Tutsi ethnic minority and political moderates from the Hutu majority.

Judge Vagn Joensen says a three-judge panel took into account Bagaragaza's guilty plea, claims of remorse and his voluntary surrender when deciding the sentence.

Bagaragaza, a father of eight children, has also agreed to assist the tribunal in the future.

The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda has convicted 39 people and acquitted six.

2009-11-05     14:50:32 GMT

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