A French court has found Charles Onana guilty of contesting crimes against humanity linked to the 1994 Rwandan Genocide. Onana, a French author and political analyst, has made numerous statements denying the scale and nature of the genocide that led to the slaughter of an estimated 800,000 Tutsi and moderate Hutu in Rwanda. The judgment was delivered by the Paris Correctional Court, which deemed that Onana’s claims were not only false but also harmful to the collective memory of the tragedy. In their ruling, the judges stated, “The repeated statements by Charles Onana contribute to the denial of a historical fact,” highlighting the significance of remembrance in the light of justice for genocide victims. Onana’s defense argued that his comments were his interpretations, voicing concerns over the judicial implications of freedom of expression. The sentence issued to Onana includes a mandatory fine of €10,000 for his actions, which the court described as an act of bad faith aimed at distorting verifiable historical events. This case underscores the ongoing struggles against denialism regarding genocides, with many advocates calling for clearer legal repercussions for individuals perpetuating such narratives. After the verdict, one of the lawyers for the victims expressed, “This verdict strengthens the importance of communication and education regarding the Holocaust and other heinous events of history that need to be acknowledged and remembered.”
Charles Onana Found Guilty of Crimes Against Humanity and Genocide Denial by French Court
