Fabien Neretsé lodges appeal with Court of Cassation
Fabien Neretsé has lodged an appeal against his conviction by the Criminal Court in Brussels for the role he played in the 1994 Rwandan genocide. The 71-year-old former high-ranking Rwandan civil servant as sentenced to 25-years in prison on 20 December for multiple counts of murder and attempted murder. His offences were described as war crimes. They took place during the genocide in Rwanda in 1994.
The jury found Mr Neretsé guilty after two days of deliberation. He became the first person ever to be convicted of genocide by a Belgian court. Since leaving Rwanda Fabien Neretsé has lived in France for many years.
He was found guilty of 9 murders and 3 attempted murders committed in Kigali on 9 April 1994 and a further (at least) two other murders in the Mataba area of the country in May and June 1994. He was acquitted of a further two murders committed in Kigali.
During his trial Mr Neretsé rejected the allegations made against him and stated that two years before murders were committed he had resigned for all the important public posts that he held. . He also denied that he was a member of the Interahamwe, the youth militia of the governing MRND party that is considered to have assisted in the genocide.
Speaking on Friday, Mr Neretsé’s barrister announced that an appeal had been lodged with the Court of Cassation.