The former Minister of Youth and Sports in the interim Government of 1994 in Rwanda Callixte Nzabonimana, pleaded not guilty to the eleven counts charging him with Conspiracy to Commit Genocide, Genocide, Complicity in Genocide, Direct and Public Incitements to commit Genocide, Crimes against Humanity and Violations of Article 3 common to the Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocol II. Nzabonima entered the plea during his initial appearance before Judge Dennis Byron.

Nzabonimana, 55, who was also member of the Mouvement Républicain National pour le Développement et la Démocratie (MRND) allegedly conspired to work out a plan with the intent to exterminate the civilian Tutsi population and eliminate members of the opposition. He also allegedly directed and ordered the massacres of the Tutsi population and the murder of numerous political opponents. From April to July 1994, he reportedly provoked and urged the people in several prefectures to exterminate Tutsi civilians and distributed weapons to them.

Callixte Nzabonimana, was arrested on 18 February 2008 in Kigoma town, Tanzania. His arrest was facilitated by the tracking Team of the office of the Prosecutor. He was transferred the same day to the United Nations Detention Facility (UNDF) in Arusha.