Trial of former Rwandan gendarme tried in France for genocide: defence seeks acquittal

The floor was this Tuesday, June 27 to the defense in the trial of Philippe Manier. The day before, the prosecutor's office had requested life imprisonment against this former chief warrant officer of the gendarmerie of Nyanza, in the prefecture of Butare, in southern Rwanda, prosecuted for genocide, crimes against humanity and criminal association to commit these crimes for his alleged involvement in several massacres at the end of April 1994. For more than 5 years, Philippe Manier has maintained his innocence, claiming in particular that he had left Nyanza at the time of the facts. In a four-part argument, his lawyers urged the court to acquit him of all charges. The verdict is expected on Wednesday.

Former Rwandan gendarme Philippe Hategekimana, naturalized French in 2005, is accused of genocide and crimes against humanity. AFP - BENOIT PEYRUCQ

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Record of hearing, Laura Martel

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We could have stuck to "he wasn't there", but we responded to the accusation to show the contradictions, the lies, everything that is problematic. ", explains Me Guedj. If the accusation is "based on sand" and has "gaping gaps" castigates Me Altit, it is because in such a case, "the backbone is the testimonies" and the "central subject, their credibility," he recalls. However, "we have the impression of having a hundred witnesses who witnessed everything" and yet, in the case of the Nyamure massacre for example, "out of 18 people interviewed, 4 have never heard of the accused, 10 are hearsay and 4 are genocidaires with testimonies full of inconsistencies! ", adds Me Lhote.

Beyond the criticisms on the accounts of the survivors "implausible" and "contradictory", according to these lawyers, it is indeed above all the testimonies of prisoners detained for genocide in Rwanda... often the most damning for Philippe Manier... that the defence calls into question.

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Is it possible to judge, without mentioning false witnesses or the conditions of questioning prisoners in a dictatorship where detainees have no rights? ", protests Me Altit. For him, Philippe Manier is the "scapegoat" of a political game between Paris and Kigali. But "the guilt complex of the France for its role in the genocide does not make it possible to designate culprits who are not," insists Mr. Guedj. This case is therefore an "ocean of doubt", but "the doubt must benefit the accused", hammers the lawyer, "it is a categorical imperative, it is not a choice!

" READ ALSO Life required against a former Rwandan gendarme tried in France for genocideGenocide in Rwanda: trial of Philippe Manier, the pleadings of the civil parties

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