Public Prosecutor v. Sadi Bugingo
This case summary is being revised and will be updated soon
| Court |
District Court of Oslo, Norway |
| Case number |
TOSLO-2012-106377 |
| Decision title |
Judgment |
| Decision date |
14 February 2013 |
| Parties |
- Sadi Bugingo
- Public Prosecutor
|
| Categories |
Conspiracy to commit genocide, Crimes against humanity, Genocide |
| Keywords |
complicity to commit genocide, conspiracy to commit genocide, crimes against humanity, genocide |
| Links |
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| Other countries involved |
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back to topProcedural history
Sadi Bugingo is a Rwandan national who at the time of the genocide in 1994 was a businessman and allegedly a high-profile militia member in the Kibungo Prefecture. In 2001 he moved to Bergen, Norway, to join his family.
In January 2008 Rwanda issued an international arrest warrant for him. On 3 May 2011, Mr Bugingo was arrested in Norway in connection with his alleged involvement in the Rwandan genocide. Among other things, he was charged with having committed genocide, being complicit in genocide and having conspired to commit genocide and crimes against humanity.
Mr Bugingo was the second Rwandan to be arrested in Norway for his role in the 1994 genocide after Charles Bandora was arrested in June 2010. This is the first case in Norway where a suspect has been charged with murder as part of genocide.
back to topRelated developments
Mr Bugingo has filed an appeal against the decision of the District Court of Oslo.
back to topLegally relevant facts
Mr Bugingo was alleged to be a member of the Interahamwe militia, responsible for the genocide, and he was said to have supervised killings, planned attacks and distributed food to the Interahamwe militia. He was alleged to have killed people at the Economat général of Kibungo Diocese and at Kibungo Baptist Church. He was also accused of participating in the murders of Tutsis in various areas including Birenga, Zaza, and Nyakarambi.
back to topCourt's holding and analysis
Sadi Bugingo was convicted by the District Court of Oslo on 14 February 2013 to 21 years’ imprisonment, the maximum sentence in Norway. The Court found him guilty of complicity in genocide, being responsible for the killing of between 1000-2000 persons during three different attacks in Birenga, Economat and a hospital in Kibungo. The Court held that Mr Buzingo had participated in the exterminations and had organised them by transporting armed killers and victims to the site of the killings.
