The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) on Monday sentenced Rwandan businessman Gaspard Kanyarukiga to 30 years in jail for his role in an April 1994 church massacre that killed some 2,000 Tutsi refugees. A panel of three judges found Kanyarukiga guilty of genocide and extermination as a crime against humanity. He was acquitted of complicity in genocide.

Jordanian presiding Judge Taghrid Hikmet said the trial chamber was satisfied that Kanyarukiga planned with others the demolition of Notre Dame de la Visitation Catholic church in Nyange, western Rwanda, and knew that about 2,000 Tutsis had taken refuge there to escape widespread massacres. Judge Hikmet said the prosecution had established beyond reasonable doubt that Kanyarukiga acted with ‘’genocidal intent’’.

The church was bulldozed on April 16th, 1994 with the refugees inside. The court found that it was destroyed on the orders of Kanyarukiga and other local dignitaries, including the parish priest.

Kanyarukiga had earlier transported police and members of the notorious Interahamwe militia to the church, according to the prosecution. The police and militia poured fuel through the church’s roof, set it on fire and then used guns and grenades against those hiding inside.

The indictment further alleged that the businessman held several meetings with local political and religious leaders where they discussed how to kill Tutsis.

Kanyarukiga is the second person convicted by the ICTR in connection with Nyange church massacre. Parish priest Athanase Seromba was convicted in 2006 and is serving a life sentence in Benin. Former Kivumu mayor Grégoire Ndahumana is currently on trial before the ICTR. The tribunal has also indicted former police inspector Fulgence Kayishema, who is still on the run.

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