A Rwandan man on trial for war crimes for his alleged role in his country's 1994 genocide has been attacked and beaten in his Montreal jail cell, local media reported Thursday.

Desire Munyaneza, 40, was severely beaten Wednesday night and taken to hospital bleeding from his eyes and with possible head wounds. His trial on Thursday had to be postponed to Monday, Canadian Television reported.

"He was almost killed last night, so he has to be in the proper mental and physical state to stand trial," said his lawyer Laurence Cohen.

Munyaneza faces a life sentence on seven charges under Canada's war crimes act, including genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted, to be served in Canada.

The son of a wealthy Rwandan family, Munyaneza came to Canada in 1997 as a refugee and took up residence in Toronto, where he was arrested in 2005.

Munyaneza is accused of taking part in and ordering the rapes and killings during the genocide.

Between 500,000 and 800,000 people, mainly minority Tutsis, were killed in 100 days of lawlessness during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.

Source: Xinhua