In brief
In a landmark ruling from Paris, writer Charles Onana and his publisher, Damien Serieyx, have been found guilty of denying the Rwandan genocide of 1994, leading to fines totaling nearly $15,000. Additionally, they were ordered to pay over $11,000 to three human rights organizations that had brought the suit against them. The court's decision, deemed a first under French law, was made public on Monday and arose from passages in Onana's book, "Rwanda, the Truth about Operation Turquoise — When the Archives Speak."
According to the court, the two were guilty of "public challenge to the existence of a crime against humanity," with the book containing 19 specific passages that violated laws against denying genocide, as recognized by France and international jurisdictions. Notably, Onana referred to the accepted narrative of a Hutu-led genocide as a "scam of the 20th century" and questioned the factual basis of claims regarding a genocide plan by the Hutus. The ruling highlights the ongoing tensions surrounding the legacy of the Rwandan genocide and sets a precedent for future legal actions against genocide denial in France. Both Onana and Serieyx plan to appeal the court's decision.
