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Rwandan MP convicted of genocide | Rwandan MP convicted of genocide |
(30 minutes later) | |
A female Rwandan MP and member of the Tutsi-led governing party has been found guilty of genocide and sentenced to life imprisonment. | |
Beatrice Nirere was convicted by a Gacaca traditional community court set up to deal with 1994 genocide cases. | |
The Rwandan Patriotic Front member had denied helping set up road blocks where ethnic Tutsis were killed and chairing meetings to plan the massacre. | The Rwandan Patriotic Front member had denied helping set up road blocks where ethnic Tutsis were killed and chairing meetings to plan the massacre. |
Some 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed in the 100-day slaughter. | Some 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed in the 100-day slaughter. |
Nirere, who was re-elected in September last year, did admit a charge of handing out uniforms to the Hutu Interahamwe militiamen who led the killings. | |
The former rebel RPF came to power when its fighters marched into Kigali in June 1994 and ended the genocide. | |
Gacaca means "justice on the grass" and the village courts were set up four years ago to clear the huge backlog of genocide suspects awaiting trial in Rwanda's jails. | |
Concerns have been raised in the past that Gacaca witnesses might not tell the truth for fear of reprisals. | |
A number of genocide survivors have been killed, possibly to stop them giving evidence to the courts. | |
A UN court has been set up in the Tanzanian town of Arusha to deal with the ringleaders. | A UN court has been set up in the Tanzanian town of Arusha to deal with the ringleaders. |