A court in the Netherlands has delivered a life sentence to a 66-year-old man identified as Eugene N for his participation in the 1994 Rwandan genocide. The defendant, who holds Dutch citizenship, was convicted of war crimes and genocide based on evidence that he acted with “genocidal intent,” according to the presiding judge.
N held a position of local authority in Mbazi, in southern Rwanda, with oversight of approximately 1,000 residents during the time of the massacres. The court determined that his status as a respected community figure meant he would have been aware of his influence and responsibilities. Among the specific charges were directing Hutu individuals to prevent Tutsis from escaping a football stadium and throwing a hand grenade into the crowd of sheltering civilians. The court documented that those trapped in the stadium faced sustained violence, including being struck with stones, shot, and attacked with machetes. Prior to the stadium attack, N reportedly watched as community members engaged in looting and arson.
Rwanda had requested the defendant’s extradition in 2014, but Dutch authorities initiated their own investigation instead. An official inquiry beginning in 2020 involved interviews with more than 30 witnesses before N’s arrest in 2024. The court emphasized that “only a lifelong prison sentence does justice to the immense suffering that has been inflicted on the victims and the bereaved families.”
N contested the charges, claiming he was a victim who lost family members during the violence. His legal representatives argued that the prosecution had reopened his emotional wounds and that he is “a broken man.” He was acquitted of incitement to genocide charges. His defence team indicated they would “almost certainly appeal” the conviction. The 1994 genocide resulted in an estimated 800,000 deaths among ethnic Tutsis and politically moderate Hutus over the course of 100 days.
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