• A Dutch court has sentenced Eugene N. to life for his role in the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
• N. was found guilty of war crimes, including throwing grenades at Tutsi victims.
• The court deemed a life sentence necessary due to the extensive suffering caused.
• Prosecutors gathered testimonies from over 30 witnesses during the investigation.
• Eugene N. denied all charges, claiming he was also a victim of the violence.

A Dutch court has handed a life sentence to 66-year-old Eugene N. for his role in the massacre of approximately 3,000 Tutsis during the 1994 Rwandan genocide. The court found him guilty of genocide and war crimes, emphasizing that he acted with “genocidal intent” by throwing a grenade into a crowd desperately seeking refuge in a football stadium, which resulted in numerous deaths, according to SCMP, BBC, and Al Jazeera.

The court outlined that Eugene N. had previously directed Hutus to prevent Tutsis from escaping the stadium, further detailing how he participated in ransacking and burning homes in Tutsi neighborhoods. His actions demonstrated a "significant lack of respect for human dignity," warranting a life sentence due to the immense suffering inflicted on the victims and their families, according to SCMP, BBC, and Al Jazeera.

Despite the serious charges, Eugene N. has maintained his innocence, claiming his own victimhood during the genocide, as he purportedly lost many relatives. His defense team described him as “a broken man” and indicated plans to appeal the sentence, arguing that their client had tried to avert violence during the turmoil, according to SCMP, BBC, and Al Jazeera.

The court's decision follows a thorough investigation initiated by Dutch prosecutors in 2020, during which over 30 witnesses were interviewed. The Rwandan authorities had sought Eugene N.’s extradition since 2014, but Dutch law does not permit the extradition of its nationals, which led to domestic legal proceedings under the principle of universal jurisdiction that allows prosecution of serious crimes regardless of location, according to SCMP, BBC, and Al Jazeera.