ICTR upholds life sentence for ex-Rwandan minister

The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) has reaffirmed a life sentence on a former Rwandan minister who was convicted of participation in the 1994 genocide.

The Arusha-based United Nations court said in a statement, available on Wednesday, that the ICTR appeals chamber had reaffirmed the sentence of imprisonment for the remainder of life of Emmanuel Ndindabahizi on July 15, 2004.

The sentence was imposed by the lower chamber of the UN court.

The appeals chamber has concurred with the findings of the prosecution that the convicted had distributed grenades and machetes and encouraged extremist Hutus to kill ethnic Tutsis in Kibuye region of Rwanda.

Ndindabahizi was arrested in July 2001 at Verviers of Belgium.

But the former Rwandan finance minister has been pleading not guilty to three counts of genocide and crimes against humanity.

The UN court, set up in 1997, has so far rendered 26 convictions and five acquittals while 27 suspects are currently undergoing trials.

Source: Xinhua