Fatshimetrie, the French-Cameroonian political scientist and essayist Charles Onana was found guilty by the French courts for “complicity in publicly contesting the existence of a crime against humanity, in this case the crime of genocide” against the Tutsis in Rwanda. This decision follows a complaint filed by seven associations, including Survie, FIDH and LDH, concerning several quotes taken from his book entitled “Rwanda, the truth about Operation Turquoise – when the archives speak”, published in 2019.
The case also involved his publisher, Damien Serieyx, who was also found guilty of “publicly contesting the existence of a crime against humanity” and who will have to pay a fine. The French courts found that Charles Onana had minimized, trivialized and outrageously contested the genocide of the Tutsis that occurred between April and July 1994. According to the verdict, the author had called into question all the court decisions recognizing the existence of this genocide, by using quotation marks around the term “genocide” extensively in his book, which according to the court, denotes an attempt to implicitly deny this tragic event.
The sentencing of Charles Onana to a 120-day fine and of the publisher to a fine of 5,000 euros has provoked mixed reactions. The defense lawyer expressed his disappointment, arguing that his client did not deny the genocide of the Tutsis but placed it in its historical context. He announced his intention to appeal this decision.
This case raises crucial questions about freedom of expression, the responsibility of authors and publishers in the dissemination of sensitive historical information, and the recognition of crimes against humanity. It is essential to deal respectfully and accurately with the tragic events of the past, in order to preserve the collective memory and the dignity of the victims.