A court in Norway has found a Rwandan man guilty of genocide, ruling that he had a leading role in the two key massacres during the 1994 genocide where over 2000 were killed.
The man, 49 year old Sadi Bugingo, was found guilty for 19 out of the 20 charges he was accused of, reported a local newspaper. He will be sentenced in January by the court of appeal in Oslo.
“This case shows that Norway has the ability and the will to punish the most serious international crimes,” the state prosecutor, Marit Bakkevig, was quoted by the paper as saying.
“There is a risk that people who have committed genocide or other serious crimes, seek residency in another country to avoid justice. To prevent people avoiding punishment, we as a state that follows the rule of law want to show that we can investigate and prosecute these cases under Norwegian law," Bakkevig added.
The conviction for the crime of genocide is the first such conviction by any court in Norway.
The man, 49 year old Sadi Bugingo, was found guilty for 19 out of the 20 charges he was accused of, reported a local newspaper. He will be sentenced in January by the court of appeal in Oslo.
“This case shows that Norway has the ability and the will to punish the most serious international crimes,” the state prosecutor, Marit Bakkevig, was quoted by the paper as saying.
“There is a risk that people who have committed genocide or other serious crimes, seek residency in another country to avoid justice. To prevent people avoiding punishment, we as a state that follows the rule of law want to show that we can investigate and prosecute these cases under Norwegian law," Bakkevig added.
The conviction for the crime of genocide is the first such conviction by any court in Norway.