A Dutch court sentenced 67-year-old Eugene N. to life in prison for war crimes and genocide committed in Rwanda in 1994. The defendant took part in the massacre of an estimated 3,000 Tutsis who had sought refuge at a stadium in Byiza.

According to the court, the man held a position of authority in the village of Mbazi, where he directed attacks that included the burning of victims' homes. At the stadium, he ordered the Hutus not to let anyone leave, then threw a hand grenade into the crowd himself. The mob went on to stone the victims and hack them to death with machetes.

Eugene N. fled to the Netherlands in 1998 and later obtained citizenship there. He was arrested in 2024 after a four-year investigation. His defense denied his guilt, claiming that he had tried to prevent the genocide.

The Netherlands invoked the principle of universal jurisdiction, which allows the prosecution of serious international crimes regardless of where they were committed. During the 100 days of the genocide in Rwanda, more than 800,000 people were murdered.

(Reuters, max)