In the case, both the defence and prosecution have appealed against the judgment of the lower court delivered on March 29, 2011. The ex- Director in the Ministry of Women and Family Affairs was convicted of genocide and extermination, as a crime against humanity and sentenced to life imprisonment.
The defence is challenging both conviction and the sentence imposed and is asking the Appeals Chamber to acquit Gatete on all counts for which he was found guilty.
The prosecution, on the other hand, disputes the verdict for the lower court’s failure to convict the Rwandan official of conspiracy to commit genocide and is requesting the Chamber to correct such error.
In the first instance judgment, Gatete was found responsible beyond reasonable doubt for deaths of hundreds, and possibly thousands of Tutsis, at three different massacre sites in the Eastern Rwanda between April 7 and 12, 1994.
The bloodbath areas include those in Rwankuba sector and at Kiziguro parish in Murambi Commune, Byumba prefecture and Mukarange parish in Kayonza Commune, Kibungo prefecture.
Gatete (59) was arrested in Congo-Brazzaville on September 11, 2002 and subsequently transferred to the UN Detention Facility in Arusha. His trial started on October 20, 2009.
FK/NI/GF