Protais Zigiranyirazo
Encyclopedia
Protais Zigiranyirazo commonly known as Monsieur Zed ("Mr. Z"), is a Rwanda
n businessman and politician. He is the former governor of Ruhengeri
prefecture in northwestern Rwanda. He has also been accused of collaborating in the 1994 Rwandan genocide
and the 1985 murder of Dian Fossey
.
Between 1974 and 1989 Zigiranyirazo served as governor of Ruhengeri
. An ethnic Hutu
, he was well-connected to the Hutu establishment of politicians, businessmen and military officers which then controlled Rwanda: he is the brother of Agathe Kanziga
, wife of the late Rwandan president Juvénal Habyarimana
, whose assassination on April 6, 1994 precipitated the events leading to the genocide
.
In 1989 he resigned his position as prefect to study at the Université du Québec à Montréal
(UQAM) in Montreal
, Quebec
, Canada
. He was expelled from UQAM and from Canada in 1993 after being convicted of uttering death threats against two Tutsi
refugees in Montreal, who "accused him of participating in the planning of ethnic massacres."
(ICTR) has accused him of committing several crimes during the months of the genocide in 1994. Specifically, ICTR alleges that Zigiranyirazo "ordered or authorized roadblocks to be established in direct proximity to each of his three residences ... knowing and intending that they would be used in the campaign of extermination and killing."
Further "Protais Zigiranyirazo further instructed men at the roadblock to kill all Tutsi
that attempted to pass through. Shortly thereafter, and on a continuing basis, soldiers and Interahamwe
killed a number of people in their homes and killed people identified as Tutsi that attempted to pass through the roadblock."
, Kenya
. On July 21, 2001 he was arrested in a Brussels airport
while travelling with a fake French passport
and seeking asylum in Belgium
. On October 4, 2001 the Belgian government handed him over to the ICTR.
On his initial appearance before the court in October 2001 he was charged with two counts of crimes against humanity. The indictment against him was, however, amended pending his second appearance on November 25, 2003. The amended indictment accuses him of committing genocide against Tutsis between April and July 1994 in Kigali
and Gisenyi
. Trial Chamber III composed of Judges Inés Mónica Weinberg de Roca, Khalida Rachid Khan and Lee Gacuiga Muthoga, on Thursday 18 December 2008, convicted Protais Zigiranyirazo of genocide and extermination as a crime against humanity and sentenced him to 20 years imprisonment. Credit was given to him for time spent in prison. The verdict was overturned by the Appeal chamber of the ICTR who acquitted him of all charges on the 16th November 2009, ordering the immediate release of Mr Zigiranyirazo and citing that the court has made serious errors in the initial judgement.
Zigiranyirazo's acquittal, which was partly based on the fact that he was not found to have engaged in "genocide planning," has been criticized for giving credence to denial that the Rwandan genocide was planned by its perpetrators.He is living in Abidjan, the Capital city of Ivory Coast.
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
n businessman and politician. He is the former governor of Ruhengeri
Ruhengeri
Ruhengeri is a city and capital of Musanze District in the Northern Province of Rwanda. Some sources now refer to the city itself as Musanze, after the district in which it lies. It lies near the twin lakes of Lake Burera and Lake Ruhondo and is the gateway city to Volcanoes National Park and the...
prefecture in northwestern Rwanda. He has also been accused of collaborating in the 1994 Rwandan genocide
Rwandan Genocide
The Rwandan Genocide was the 1994 mass murder of an estimated 800,000 people in the small East African nation of Rwanda. Over the course of approximately 100 days through mid-July, over 500,000 people were killed, according to a Human Rights Watch estimate...
and the 1985 murder of Dian Fossey
Dian Fossey
Dian Fossey was an American zoologist who undertook an extensive study of gorilla groups over a period of 18 years. She studied them daily in the mountain forests of Rwanda, initially encouraged to work there by famous anthropologist Louis Leakey...
.
Between 1974 and 1989 Zigiranyirazo served as governor of Ruhengeri
Ruhengeri
Ruhengeri is a city and capital of Musanze District in the Northern Province of Rwanda. Some sources now refer to the city itself as Musanze, after the district in which it lies. It lies near the twin lakes of Lake Burera and Lake Ruhondo and is the gateway city to Volcanoes National Park and the...
. An ethnic Hutu
Hutu
The Hutu , or Abahutu, are a Central African people, living mainly in Rwanda, Burundi, and eastern DR Congo.-Population statistics:The Hutu are the largest of the three peoples in Burundi and Rwanda; according to the United States Central Intelligence Agency, 84% of Rwandans and 85% of Burundians...
, he was well-connected to the Hutu establishment of politicians, businessmen and military officers which then controlled Rwanda: he is the brother of Agathe Kanziga
Agathe Habyarimana
Agathe Habyarimana is the widow of former President of Rwanda Juvénal Habyarimana. Kanziga is part of a Hutu lineage that long ruled an independent principality until the late nineteenth century...
, wife of the late Rwandan president Juvénal Habyarimana
Juvénal Habyarimana
Juvénal Habyarimana was the third President of the Republic of Rwanda, the post he held longer than any other president to date, from 1973 until 1994. During his 20-year rule he favored his own ethnic group, the Hutus, and supported the Hutu majority in neighboring Burundi against the Tutsi...
, whose assassination on April 6, 1994 precipitated the events leading to the genocide
Genocide
Genocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group", though what constitutes enough of a "part" to qualify as genocide has been subject to much debate by legal scholars...
.
In 1989 he resigned his position as prefect to study at the Université du Québec à Montréal
Université du Québec à Montréal
The Université du Québec à Montréal is one of four universities in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.-Basic facts:The UQAM is the largest constituent element of the Université du Québec , a public university system with other branches in Gatineau , Rimouski, Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec City, Chicoutimi, and...
(UQAM) in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He was expelled from UQAM and from Canada in 1993 after being convicted of uttering death threats against two Tutsi
Tutsi
The Tutsi , or Abatutsi, are an ethnic group in Central Africa. Historically they were often referred to as the Watussi or Watusi. They are the second largest caste in Rwanda and Burundi, the other two being the Hutu and the Twa ....
refugees in Montreal, who "accused him of participating in the planning of ethnic massacres."
Genocide allegations
Zigiranyirazo returned to Rwanda following his expulsion from Canada. The Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for RwandaInternational Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda
The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda is an international court established in November 1994 by the United Nations Security Council in Resolution 955 in order to judge people responsible for the Rwandan Genocide and other serious violations of international law in Rwanda, or by Rwandan...
(ICTR) has accused him of committing several crimes during the months of the genocide in 1994. Specifically, ICTR alleges that Zigiranyirazo "ordered or authorized roadblocks to be established in direct proximity to each of his three residences ... knowing and intending that they would be used in the campaign of extermination and killing."
Further "Protais Zigiranyirazo further instructed men at the roadblock to kill all Tutsi
Tutsi
The Tutsi , or Abatutsi, are an ethnic group in Central Africa. Historically they were often referred to as the Watussi or Watusi. They are the second largest caste in Rwanda and Burundi, the other two being the Hutu and the Twa ....
that attempted to pass through. Shortly thereafter, and on a continuing basis, soldiers and Interahamwe
Interahamwe
The Interahamwe is a Hutu paramilitary organization. The militia enjoyed the backing of the Hutu-led government leading up to, during, and after the Rwandan Genocide. Since the genocide, they have been forced out of Rwanda, and have sought asylum in Congo...
killed a number of people in their homes and killed people identified as Tutsi that attempted to pass through the roadblock."
Arrest and court appearances
From sometime after 1994 until July 2001 Zigiranyirazo resided in NairobiNairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
. On July 21, 2001 he was arrested in a Brussels airport
Brussels Airport
Brussels Airport is an international airport northeast of Brussels, Belgium. The airport is partially in Zaventem and partially in the Diegem area of Machelen, both located in the Flemish Region of Belgium.Brussels Airport currently consists of 54 contact gates, and a total of 109 gates...
while travelling with a fake French passport
French passport
French passports are issued to French citizens for the purpose of international travel. Besides serving as indication of French citizenship , they facilitate the process of securing assistance from French consular officials...
and seeking asylum in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. On October 4, 2001 the Belgian government handed him over to the ICTR.
On his initial appearance before the court in October 2001 he was charged with two counts of crimes against humanity. The indictment against him was, however, amended pending his second appearance on November 25, 2003. The amended indictment accuses him of committing genocide against Tutsis between April and July 1994 in Kigali
Kigali
Kigali, population 965,398 , is the capital and largest city of Rwanda. It is situated near the geographic centre of the nation, and has been the economic, cultural, and transport hub of Rwanda since it became capital at independence in 1962. The main residence and offices of the President of...
and Gisenyi
Gisenyi
Gisenyi is a city in Rubavu district in the Western Province of Rwanda. Gisenyi is contiguous with Goma, the city across the border in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The population of the city is about 106 000 .-Description:...
. Trial Chamber III composed of Judges Inés Mónica Weinberg de Roca, Khalida Rachid Khan and Lee Gacuiga Muthoga, on Thursday 18 December 2008, convicted Protais Zigiranyirazo of genocide and extermination as a crime against humanity and sentenced him to 20 years imprisonment. Credit was given to him for time spent in prison. The verdict was overturned by the Appeal chamber of the ICTR who acquitted him of all charges on the 16th November 2009, ordering the immediate release of Mr Zigiranyirazo and citing that the court has made serious errors in the initial judgement.
Zigiranyirazo's acquittal, which was partly based on the fact that he was not found to have engaged in "genocide planning," has been criticized for giving credence to denial that the Rwandan genocide was planned by its perpetrators.He is living in Abidjan, the Capital city of Ivory Coast.