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Rwanda: The Genocide Ideology law

http://www.ecoi.net/file_upload/1504_1256556631_law-relating-to-the-punishment-of-the-crime-of-genocide-ideology.pdf

LAW N°18/2008 OF 23/07/2008 RELATING TO THE PUNISHMENT OF THE 
CRIME OF GENOCIDE IDEOLOGY 
  
Chapter 1.  GENERAL PROVISIONS  

Article:  1 Purpose of this law  
This Law aims at preventing and punishing the crime of genocide ideology. 

Article:  2 Definition of "genocide ideology" 
The genocide ideology is an aggregate of thoughts characterized by conduct, speeches, 
documents and other acts aiming at exterminating or inciting others to exterminate 
people basing on ethnic group, origin, nationality, region, color, physical appearance, 
sex, language, religion or political opinion, committed in normal periods or during war. 
  
Article:  3 Characteristics of the crime of genocide ideology 
The crime of genocide ideology is characterized in any behaviour manifested by facts 
aimed at deshumanizing a person or a group of persons with the same characteristics in 
the following manner: 
1° threatening, intimidating, degrading through defamatory speeches, documents 
or actions which aim at propounding wickedness or inciting hatred; 
2° marginalising, laughing at one's  misfortune, defaming, mocking, boasting, 
despising, degrading creating confusion aiming at negating the genocide which 
occurred, stirring up ill feelings, taking revenge, altering testimony or evidence 
for the genocide which occurred; 
3° killing, planning to kill or attempting to kill someone for purposes of 
furthering genocide ideology. 

Chapter 2.  PENALTIES  
Article:  4 Sentencing the crime of genocide ideology 
Any person convicted of the crime of genocide ideology as mentioned in Articles 2 and 
3 of this Law shall be sentenced to an imprisonment of ten (10) years to twenty five (25) 
years and a fine of two hundred thousand (200.000) to one million (1.000.000) 
Rwandan francs. 
In case of recidivism, the penalty provided  for in the preceding paragraph shall be 
doubled.   

  Article:  5 Penalty awarded to a genocide ideology convict found guilty of the 
crime of genocide 
Any person found guilty of the ideology of genocide who was convicted of the crime of 
genocide, shall be sentenced to life imprisonment.
 
Article:  6 Penalties awarded to current and former leaders 
In case the perpetrator of the crime of  genocide ideology is a  leader in public 
administrative organs, political organisation,  private administrative organs, or a non 
governmental organs, a religious leader, or a former leader in such organs, he/she shall 
be sentenced to an imprisonment of fifteen (15) years to twenty five (25) years and 
a fine of two million (2.000.000) to five million (5.000.000) Rwandan francs. 
  
Article:  7 Penalties awarded to associations, a political organization and non 
profit making organization 
Any association, political organization or non profit making organisation convicted of 
the crime of the ideology of genocide shall be subject to a punishment of its dissolution 
in accordance with legal provisions relating to dissolution of associations, political 
organisations and non profit making associations and a fine of five million (5.000.000) 
to ten million (10.000.000) Rwandan francs without prejudice to individual liability of 
any participant in the commission of the crime. 
  
Article:  8 Penalties for disseminating genocide ideology 
Any person who disseminates genocide ideology in public through documents, 
speeches, pictures, media or any other means shall be sentenced to an imprisonment 
from twenty (20) years to twenty-five (25) years and a fine of two million (2. 000. 000) 
to five million (5.000.000) Rwandan francs. 

Article:  9 Penalties awarded to children guilty of the crime of genocide ideology 
In case a child under twelve years (12) of age is found guilty of a crime of genocide 
ideology, he or she shall be taken to a rehabilitation centre for a period not exceeding 
twelve (12) months. 
In case a child who is found guilty of the crime of genocide ideology is between twelve 
(12) and eighteen (18) years,  he or she shall be sentenced to a half of the penalty 
referred to in Article 4 of this Law, without prejudice to the possibility that a part or 
whole of the sentence may be served in the rehabilitation centre. 
  
Article:  10 Follow up of a child who is in or was in a rehabilitation centre 
An Order of the Minister in charge of rehabilitation centres shall determine procedures 
through which children referred to in Article 9 of this Law are followed up while in 
rehabilitation centres and during their social reintegration. 

  Article:  11 Penalties awarded to parents and to other guardians of the child 
In case it is evident that the parent of the child referred to in Article 9 of this Law, the 
guardian, the tutor, the teacher or the school  headmaster of the child participated in 
inoculating the genocide ideology, they shall be sentenced to an imprisonment of fifteen 
(15) years to twenty five (25) years. 
A teacher or a director referred to in the preceding paragraph cannot be reintegrated into 
his teaching career.
 
Article:  12 Penalty awarded to a murderer, a conspirator or attempted murderer 
Without prejudice to the provisions of Article 4 of this Law, any person who kills 
another, one who conspires or who attempts to kill basing on the ideology of genocide 
shall be sentenced to a life imprisonment. 
There shall be no mitigating circumstance regarding this crime. 
  
Article:  13 Penalties against false accusers 
Any person found guilty of false accusations of the crime of genocide ideology referred 
to in Article 4 of this Law shall be liable to the punishment provided for by the penal 
Code.   
  
Article:  14 Damages 
Damages awarded to victims of the crime of the ideology of genocide shall be 
determined in accordance with provisions of civil procedure. 

Chapter 3.  FINAL PROVISIONS  
Article:  15 Abrogating provisions 
All prior legal provisions contrary to this Law are hereby repealed. 
  
Article:  16 Commencement 
This Law shall come into force on the date of its publication in the Official Gazette of 
the Republic of Rwanda. 

Kigali, on 23/07/2008 

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