The Paris Court of Appeal has ordered the continuation of an investigation into Agathe Kanziga, widow of former Rwandan president Juvénal Habyarimana, over allegations linked to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
The ruling, issued May 6, 2026, overturns a 2025 decision by investigating judges that had closed the case for lack of sufficient evidence.
The investigation has been ongoing since 2008. Lawyers representing civil parties including Richard Gisagara welcomed the decision. “Kanziga will not escape justice” he posted on X.
France’s National AntiTerrorism Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT), which handles genocide and crimes against humanity cases, had opposed the closure, arguing that key evidence and witness testimony had not been properly examined.
Kanziga, now 83, has been under investigation since 2007 following a complaint by the Collective of Civil Parties for Rwanda.
She is suspected of complicity in genocide and crimes against humanity, charges she denies.
In 2024, PNAT called for the investigation to be expanded to cover March 1 to April 9, 1994, and to examine possible involvement in a genocidal conspiracy.
Investigating judges rejected the request and again closed the case in 2025, saying there was no convincing evidence linking her to the crimes.
Civil parties argue Kanziga was part of the so-called “Akazu,” an alleged inner circle around the late president accused of planning the genocide. Her defense rejects the claim.
