US trial begins for Rwandan-American accused of role in genocide

Eric Nshimiye, an American citizen, says the evidence against him consists of unreliable eye witnesses.Published On 13 Oct 202613 Oct 2026Boston, Massachusetts, United States – A United States federal court in Boston has begun hearing the case of a Rwandan-American accused of covering up his role in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.Prosecutors say Eric Nshimiye, a 55-year-old father of four and a US citizen, took part in a nationwide outbreak of genocidal violence against ethnic minority Tutsis by majority Hutu extremists in April 1994. More than 800,000 people were killed over about 100 days, in what has been called a genocide by the United Nations.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Who is Navi Pillay, winner of the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize?list 2 of 3African Union holds Kigali talks as fighting continues in eastern DRClist 3 of 3Rwanda to host a Grand Prix in 2030s as Formula One returns to Africaend of listInvestigators from the US Department of Homeland Security arrested Nshimiye at his home in Ohio in 2024, alleging he had lied to them in an interview about his time in Rwanda during the genocide. They also allege he committed perjury in a previous trial in 2019 in Boston w...