Munyenyezi at Kicukiro Primary Court in a previous hearing. She prefers to remain incarcerated in Kigali.
Genocide suspect, Béatrice Munyenyezi yesterday started her in-depth trial on genocide crimes including committing genocide, plotting to commit genocide, complicity in Genocide, rape as a crime against humanity and inciting people to commit the genocide.
The trial kicked off Monday, September 19, 2022, at Huye Intermediate court.
On complicity in Genocide, she was accused of leading genocide operations at the barricade in front of Hotel Ihuriro, which was owned by her in-laws. It is alleged that she kept watch of Tutsi crossing to block them and it is believed that many were killed at this spot.
The court listened to several testimonies which said that they saw Munyenyezi at the barricade with her husband either in army fatigue, Sports wear or Interahamwe militia uniform (multi-colored Kitenge). The witness told court, that Munyenyezi was often replaced by a person called Kazungu.
In her defense, Munyenyezi pleaded not guilty and said that during the Genocide she had a young child and was pregnant, thus couldn’t be part of the alleged barricade operations as an expectant mother.
Her lawyers said that the fact that the witnesses say different clothes they saw Munyenyezi wearing at the barricade shows that they are telling lies.
However, the prosecution said that they saw her on different days, thus different clothing.
On rape charges, witnesses interviewed by the prosecution said that Munyenyezi ordered the militia to rape one nun and kill her later on.
The witness said, that on order of Munyenyezi, Interahamwe arrested four female university students at the barricade and she handed them to the militia to rape them inside an underground floor. It is alleged that one of the four girls tried to escape and was shot dead immediately. The rest were allegedly gang raped by men including her husband.
Munyenyezi and his lawyers pointed out that the witnesses are lying saying that there was no such thing as a woman sending her husband to have sex with other women and said that the court should collect evidence on this.
One defense witness however said that she went to the same school with Munyenyezi (at GS Gitwe) and allegedly sought refuge at Munyenyezi’s father-in-law Maurice Ntahobari where they stayed for nearly month.
The witness said that Munyenyezi was pregnant and assisted her in childcare.
Another witness (convicted for genocide) who knows the Munyenyezi’s family also said that Munyenyezi was pregnant at the time and never saw her at the roadblock.
The trial will resume on October 4, 2022, with the hearing of other witnesses.
