Félicien Kabuga has passed away.

Félicien Kabuga has passed away.

The International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT) announced that *Félicien Kabuga* died on Saturday, May 17, 2026, in a hospital in The Hague, Netherlands. Kabuga, who was 93 years old, had been in the hospital for some time and was being monitored by UN medical staff. The IRMCT said that a thorough investigation into his death will be conducted in accordance with Dutch law.
Félicien Kabuga was one of the most wanted men by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR). He was charged with crimes related to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, including incitement to commit genocide, complicity in the crime, and crimes against humanity. He was suspected of trafficking in machetes and other killing equipment, and of providing funds to support the Interahamwe.  Kabuga spent 26 years on the wanted list of international courts. He was arrested in France in May 2020 in Asnières-sur-Seine near Paris, where he had been hiding under an assumed name. His arrest was widely reported as a major step towards justice for genocide survivors. He was immediately transferred to The Hague, where his trial began in November 2022.
Kabuga's trial was halted in 2023 after doctors declared him mentally ill and unable to follow the proceedings. The ICTR ruled that he would not stand trial again due to his medical condition, but that measures would be taken to provide him with medical treatment and care. He has since been in the custody of the UN detention unit.
Kabuga is widely known as one of the most influential figures in the Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines, or RTLM. The prosecution alleged that he used his financial and business influence to ensure that the station continued to broadcast hate speech and incite the population to kill Tutsi. This made him a prominent figure in the economic and media circles who were accused of orchestrating the genocide.
Kabuga's death left his trial unfinished, meaning that no verdict has been issued on the charges against him. For some survivors, this is a loss because they had been waiting for the court to speak. Others say that the trial has already been held in public and the evidence has been read out, which is enough to establish the truth even though he has not been tried to the end.
Félicien Kabuga leaves behind a legacy of a man who was one of Rwanda’s richest men before 1994, but who became known worldwide for his alleged role in the Genocide. His death sends a message to other suspects in similar crimes that no one can escape justice forever. The IRMCT says it will continue to work with Rwanda to prosecute others who are still at large. For Rwanda, his death is a reminder of the importance of continuing to preserve the truth and fight against denial and marginalization of the Genocide against the Tutsi.