International Criminal Tribunal For Rwanda Hands Down First Sentences

Rwanda's former Prime Minister, Jean Kambanda, was sentenced to life imprisonment for crimes against humanity and Genocide by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. Mayor Akayesu of Taba district in Rwanda was also found guilty of a host of crimes including extermination, murder, torture and rape for which he also received the maximum punishment of life in prison. The Tribunal's judgements against Kambanda and Akayesu are historic because they were the first to be found guilty of genocide by an international court since World War II.