Boston jury convicts Eric Nshimiye of lying during Rwandan genocide case
The Ohio resident was convicted of perjury and obstruction over testimony at a former classmate’s 2019 trial. His lawyers dispute the allegations about his conduct in Rwanda.
A federal jury in Boston convicted Ohio resident Eric Nshimiye on October 27 of lying during a 2019 trial tied to the 1994 Rwandan genocide, Reuters reported. The verdict covers four counts of perjury and one of obstruction of justice. It concerns his testimony in a US courtroom; prosecutors’ allegations about his conduct during the genocide remain disputed.
The Justice Department said Nshimiye testified for his former classmate Jean Leonard Teganya at Teganya’s 2019 trial in Boston. Nshimiye told that jury that neither man had participated in the genocide or belonged to the MRND political party. Teganya was convicted in April 2019 of two immigration fraud counts and three perjury counts. Nshimiye’s statements at that trial formed the basis of the new verdict.
What prosecutors alleged and the defense disputed
Prosecutors alleged that Nshimiye attacked Tutsis and handed others over to be raped or killed during the genocide, Reuters reported. They placed him in Butare, where he had studied medicine alongside Teganya. The Boston jury convicted Nshimiye of offenses arising from his later testimony, not of those alleged acts of violence.
At the October 13 opening of the trial, defense lawyer Kurt Kerns called the accusations against Nshimiye ‘fabricated’ and argued that he was not in Butare when the violence began, according to Reuters. Al Jazeera reported that defense witnesses placed him in Kigali and elsewhere during the genocide. His lawyers also challenged inconsistencies in prosecution witnesses’ accounts and alleged that Rwandan authorities had met some witnesses before they testified.
After the verdict, Kerns said the defense was disappointed and would pursue ‘all avenues of relief’ for Nshimiye, Reuters reported. Al Jazeera reported that his lawyers asked the court to credit the time he had already spent in custody toward any sentence and argued for his release. It was not immediately clear whether the court had ruled on that request.
Sentencing scheduled for January 2027
Nshimiye is scheduled to be sentenced on January 26, 2027. The Justice Department said each perjury count carries a maximum prison term of five years and the obstruction count a maximum of 10 years. A federal judge will determine the sentence after considering sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
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Sources and context
- Ohio man convicted in US of lying about role in Rwandan genocideReuters, carried by The Straits Times
- Ohio Man Convicted for Lying About His Involvement in the Rwandan GenocideU.S. Department of Justice
- US jury convicts Rwandan American of lying about role in genocideAl Jazeera
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.