Northeast Ohio man indicted for hiding alleged role in Rwandan genocide

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UNIONTOWN, Ohio (WJW) – A Northeast Ohio man accused of taking part in mass ethnic genocide in Rwanda in the 90s was indicted by a federal grand jury on Tuesday.

Eric Tabaro Nshimiye, 52, from Uniontown, was arrested last Thursday.

A 22-page criminal affidavit alleges that Nshimiye was “directly involved in the murder of Tutsis, including women and children” in 1994, when majority Hutu members slaughtered minority Tutsis members in the African country.

More than 800,000 people were killed during the Rwandan genocide.

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The indictment alleges that Nshimiye, who was 22 at the time, killed a young woman by hitting her in the head with a nail-studded club before hacking her to death.

According to prosecutors, Nshimiye allegedly lied about his involvement in the genocide while seeking asylum in the U.S. in 1995. He became a U.S. citizen in 2003.

He’s also accused of giving false testimony in the trial of convicted Rwandan genocide perpetrator Jean Leonard Teganya in 2019.

On Tuesday, a federal grand jury in Boston indicted Nshimiye on four counts of perjury, one count of obstruction of justice and one count of engaging in a scheme to conceal material information from federal authorities.

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FOX 8 spoke with Nshimiye’s neighbors in Uniontown last week, who were shocked by the allegations and said he had always been helpful and caring.

Nshimiye’s family previously released the following statement:

“The United Nations International Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) was established in Arusha, Tanzania to account for all principal orchestrators of the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda, and Eric Nshimiye’s name never appeared. The Human Rights Watch drafted intensive investigative reports at the time as to those responsible. Eric’s name never appeared. The local Gacaca courts – a system of transitional justice in Rwanda following the genocide – were established and for decades after the genocide, Eric’s good name went unassailed.

“Only after he agreed to act as a defense witness did these false accusations arise, and those familiar with the Rwandan judicial system know exactly why. If you dare question the official Rwandan narrative, you become a target and it’s sad the US federal prosecutors are doing Rwanda’s bidding using US taxpayers money.

“Our family vehemently denies all allegations brought against Eric and asserts his complete innocence. He is a beloved active figure in the community, a devoted husband and father, and a man of deep faith as evident in every aspect of his life. We attest to his moral integrity and dismiss the charges against him as incompatible with his character and beliefs, as those who know him would agree.

“We express our heartfelt gratitude for the overwhelming support that Eric has received from friends and the community at large. Together, we will see this through and Eric will emerge victorious. His good name will be cleared, and his integrity restored.”

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