A request for life imprisonment was made on Monday for Philippe Hategekimana, a former Rwandan policeman who obtained French citizenship under the name Philippe Manier. The public prosecutor describes him as a “vital cog in the machinery of genocide” in Rwanda.
During the trial, Céline Viguier, one of the two public prosecutors, vehemently argued that Manier is not merely a pawn but the instigator of genocide and crimes against humanity. She urged the court to impose the most severe sentence possible for these heinous crimes.
In their closing arguments presented together, general counsels Céline Viguier and Louisa Aït Hamou urged the court to hold the accused accountable for all the charges brought against him.
Manier stands accused of participating in a criminal conspiracy to prepare the crimes of genocide and other crimes against humanity. The prosecution has charged him with both genocide and crimes against humanity.
The prosecution discredited the 66-year-old ex-gendarme, labelling him a “fabricator of lies”. They asserted that no credibility should be given to his claims.
Moreover, the prosecution criticized Manier for refusing to discuss the facts. They deplored his lack of empathy towards the survivors, despite numerous survivors testifying during the trial.
Not only did Philippe Manier actively partake in the massacres, but as the chief warrant officer in the gendarmerie, he also incited the population to commit killings, often leading by example.
“The phrase ‘I have no comment’ was most frequently uttered by Hategekimana during the hearing,” stated the judges.
Hategekimana/Manier, nicknamed “Biguma,” faces prosecution for his alleged involvement in the murders of several Tutsis in the Butare prefecture. This includes the mayor of Ntyazo, who resisted the implementation of the genocide in his community.
Specifically, he is accused of ordering and overseeing the establishment of multiple “barriers” or roadblocks, intended to control and execute Tutsi civilians.
The prosecution further accused Manier of actively participating, either through issuing orders or direct involvement on the ground, in three massacres. These include the Nyabubare Hill massacre, where 300 people were killed on April 23 1994, the Nyamure Hill massacre, where thousands of Tutsis sought refuge four days later, and the Institute of Agricultural Sciences of Rwanda massacre, which claimed tens of thousands of lives.
To support their case, the Attorneys General provided detailed accounts of these three massacres. They argued that there is no doubt regarding the accused’s active participation, citing the investigation file and testimonies given by survivors during the trial.
“The perpetrators of genocide aim to eliminate all witnesses. That’s why the survivors’ testimonies are extremely valuable,” they emphasized. However, the defence occasionally questioned the credibility of these testimonies from survivors or former assailants testifying against the accused.
Throughout the closing arguments, Manier, dressed in a checked short-sleeved shirt, remained fixated on the ground. The former Rwandan gendarme vehemently denies all allegations.
In a statement read out during the previous week’s hearing, he denounced the unjust accusations, emphasizing that he is continuously accused by unknown individuals of every conceivable crime.
Philippe Hategekimana is the fifth defendant to face trial in France for crimes committed during the Rwandan genocide.