The Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, composed of Judge Theodor Meron, presiding, Judge Patrick Robinson, Judge Liu Daqun, Judge Andrésia Vaz, and Judge Bakhtiyar Tuzmukhamedov, heard today oral arguments regarding the appeals of Justin Mugenzi and Prosper Mugiraneza against the Judgement rendered by Trial Chamber II of the Tribunal on 30 September 2011.

The Trial Chamber found Mugenzi and Mugiraneza guilty of conspiracy to commit genocide based on their role in the removal of Jean-Baptiste Habyalimana, who had opposed the genocide, from his post as the prefect of Butare Prefecture on 17 April 1994 in order to further the killings there. The Trial Chamber also found Mugenzi and Mugiraneza guilty of direct and public incitement to commit genocide based on their role in the installation ceremony of Sylvain Nsabimana as the new prefect of Butare Prefecture on 19 April 1994. The Trial Chamber sentenced Mugenzi and Mugiraneza each to a single sentence of 30 years of imprisonment.

Mugenzi and Mugiraneza contend that the Trial Chamber committed a number of errors of law and fact and request that the Appeals Chamber overturn their respective convictions and acquit them on all counts or, alternatively, reduce their sentences.

Mugenzi was born in 1939 in Rukara Commune, Kibungo Prefecture, Rwanda. He founded the Parti libéral in 1991 and served as its chairman. During the relevant events, Mugenzi was Minister of Trade and Industry. Mugiraneza was born in 1957 in Kigarama Commune, Kibungo Prefecture, Rwanda. On 9 April 1994, he was appointed Minister of Civil Service.