KIGALI, Rwanda – The United States has deported a Rwandan man accused of participating in the country’s 1994 genocide, returning him to Kigali to face separate charges of genocide and crimes against humanity, according to Rwanda’s National Public Prosecution Authority.
Jean Léonard Teganya, 55, arrived at Kigali International Airport on Monday, November 9, and was handed over to Rwandan authorities before being arrested. Prosecutors said he was undergoing police questioning before his case file would be transferred to the prosecution service.
Teganya was indicted in Rwanda in 2014 over alleged involvement in crimes committed in the former Butare area, now part of Huye District in southern Rwanda. The prosecution has identified locations including a university campus and the University Teaching Hospital of Butare among the places connected to the allegations.
Rwanda’s 2014 Indictment
Rwanda’s National Public Prosecution Authority said Teganya was a medical student at the former National University of Rwanda and an intern at the University Teaching Hospital of Butare during the 1994 genocide.
The allegations concern attacks against Tutsi civilians, including people who sought refuge at the hospital and university facilities. Rwanda’s prosecution authority said the indictment had been pending since 2014, although its latest public statement did not provide a detailed breakdown of the individual charges or a timetable for trial.
Teganya has previously denied involvement in the genocide. His return to Rwanda does not establish criminal responsibility; the allegations must be examined through the country’s judicial process.
US Convicted Him of Immigration Fraud and Perjury
Before his deportation, Teganya was prosecuted in the United States for concealing information about his background when seeking immigration benefits.
A federal jury in Boston convicted him on April 5, 2019, of two counts of immigration fraud and three counts of perjury. US District Judge F. Denis Saylor IV sentenced him on July 1, 2019, to 97 months in prison.
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The US prosecution presented evidence alleging that Teganya had participated in killings and sexual violence against Tutsi civilians during the genocide. Prosecutors said he had been involved in identifying people hiding at the Butare hospital and in attacks against them.
However, the US case concerned immigration fraud and perjury. Teganya was not convicted of genocide in the United States.
After completing his US sentence, he remained subject to immigration proceedings that ultimately resulted in his removal to Rwanda. His deportation followed years of legal proceedings that also involved his unsuccessful asylum application in Canada.
Case Spanned Canada and the United States
Teganya fled Rwanda in July 1994 as the genocide ended. He later travelled through several countries before arriving in Canada in 1999 and seeking asylum.
Canadian authorities rejected his asylum claim after examining allegations concerning his conduct during the genocide. Following years of proceedings, he crossed into the United States in August 2014 after evading a Canadian deportation order.
US authorities subsequently investigated his immigration application and charged him with concealing information about his political affiliations and alleged activities during the genocide.
His case therefore involved separate legal proceedings in Canada, the United States and Rwanda, with each jurisdiction addressing different questions concerning his immigration status and alleged conduct.
Eighth Genocide Suspect Deported From US to Rwanda
Rwanda’s National Public Prosecution Authority described Teganya as the eighth genocide fugitive deported from the United States to Rwanda since 2007.
The authority credited cooperation with US judicial authorities and described the transfer as part of international efforts to pursue individuals suspected of involvement in the 1994 genocide.
The 1994 genocide against the Tutsi lasted approximately 100 days, beginning in April. About 800,000 people, predominantly Tutsis, were killed, according to historical estimates cited by US authorities.
Teganya’s arrival in Kigali brings the long-running allegations into Rwanda’s judicial system. Prosecutors must now pursue the separate case under Rwandan law, while Teganya retains the right to answer the charges in court.
Primary Sources: United States Department of Justice, District of Massachusetts — Rwandan Man Convicted for Immigration Fraud and Perjury in Connection with the 1994 Genocide, April 5, 2019. Official record of the US jury convictions and evidence presented during the trial. United States Department of Justice, District of Massachusetts — Rwandan Man Sentenced for Immigration Fraud and Perjury, July 1, 2019. Confirms Teganya’s 97-month prison sentence and the subsequent removal proceedings. Rwanda National Public Prosecution Authority (NPPA) — Official statement on Teganya’s deportation and 2014 indictment, reported in the November 10, 2026 coverage. The original statement was not independently located as a publicly accessible document.
