France’s judiciary has ordered the resumption of an investigation into allegations that Agathe Habyarimana was involved in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. Investigating magistrates had dismissed the case in 2025, citing insufficient evidence to pursue charges of complicity in genocide and crimes against humanity. The latest ruling overturns that decision and directs that the probe continue.
Habyarimana, widow of former president Juvenal Habyarimana, has lived in France since 1998. Kigali has repeatedly sought her extradition.
The former first lady fled Rwanda with French help just days after her husband’s plane was shot down in April 1994, triggering the genocide which saw around 800,000 people, mainly ethnic Tutsis, slaughtered in one of the 20th century’s worst atrocities. The 83 year old denies the allegations, saying she had no political role. French courts, operating under the principle of universal jurisdiction, have previously convicted several individuals for their roles in the genocide.