UBUSHINJACYAHA v. HAKIZIMANA
The Court held that the 15-year prison term and 5,000,000 Frw fine imposed by the High Court were already the lowest legally permissible sentence for the offence after mitigation, so the appeal seeking further reduction had no merit.
Source-derived case information.
- Parties
- Uriregere/corresponding Party: Ubushinjacyaha; Uregwa/ujurira: Hakizimana Domicien
- Jurisdiction
- Rwanda
- Procedural Posture
- Criminal Appeal / Urukiko Rw’ubujurire
- Outcome
- Appeal dismissed as unfounded.
- Legal Topics
- Mitigating Circumstances, Sentence Reduction, Trafficking in Narcotic Drugs, Appeal Against Sentence
- Source Language
- rw
Source-derived case record
Summary, issues, holding and outcome
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Parties
Ubushinjacyaha
Uriregere/corresponding Party
Hakizimana Domicien
Uregwa/ujurira
Procedural Posture
Criminal Appeal / Urukiko Rw’ubujurire
Legal Issues
- 1 Whether the sentence imposed after mitigation was the minimum possible under Article 2 of Law Nº 059/2023 amending Law Nº 68/2018.
- 2 Whether the appellant’s personal mitigating factors justified further reduction of the sentence below 15 years and the fine of 5,000,000 Frw.
Ratio Decidendi
The Court held that the 15-year prison term and 5,000,000 Frw fine imposed by the High Court were already the lowest legally permissible sentence for the offence after mitigation, so the appeal seeking further reduction had no merit.
Court Disposition
Appeal dismissed as unfounded.
Orders
- The appeal of Hakizimana Domicien is without merit.
- The judgment of the High Court, Rusizi Chamber, in RPA00471/2021/HC/RSZ of 28/02/2024 is upheld in all respects.
Full Case Text
Judgment text and source record
3 paragraphs
UBUSHINJACYAHA v. HAKIZIMANA [Rwanda URUKIKO RW’UBUJURIRE – RPAA00137/2024/CA (Kaliwabo, J. P.) 19 Gashyantare 2026] Amategeko agenga imanza nshinjabyaha – Igabanyagihano – Iyo hari impamvu nyoroshyacyaha zemejwe n’umucamanza icyaha gihanishwa igihano cy’igifungo cya burundu n’ihazabu, icyo gihano gishobora kugabanywa ariko ntikijye munsi y’igifungo cy’imyaka cumi n’itanu (15) n’ihazabu ikaba yagabanywa ariko ntijye munsi ya kimwe cya kane cy’ihazabu nto iteganyirijwe icyaha cyakozwe Incamake y’ikibazo: Ubushinjacyaha bwareze Hakizimana mu Rukiko Rwisumbuye rwa Rusizi, icyaha cyo gutunda ibiyobyabwenge bihambaye byo mu bwoko bw’urumogi, maze kiramuhama ahanishwa igifungo cy’imyaka 25 n’ihazabu ya 20.000.000Frw. Yajuririye Urukiko Rukuru, urugereko rwa Rusizi narwo rwemeza ko ahamwa n’icyo cyaha, rumugabanyiriza ibihano ahanishwa gufungwa imyaka 15 n’ihazabu ya 5.000.000Frw. Uregwa yongeye ajurira bwa kabiri muri uru Rukiko rw’ubujurire asaba ko yagabanyirizwa igihano, agahabwa igifungo cy’imyaka 7, kuko yemera icyaha akanagisabira imbabazi, kuba ari ubwa mbere yari akoze icyaha, kuba nta ngaruka icyaha aregwa cyateje no kuba yarafatanwe ingano ntoya y’ibiyobyabwenge. Ubushinjacyaha bwasubije ubujurire bw’Uregwa buvuga ko igihano yahawe aricyo gito gihano gishoboka, akaba adashobora kongera kugabanyirizwa. Incamake y’icyemezo: Iyo hari impamvu nyoroshyacyaha zemejwe n’umucamanza icyaha gihanishwa igihano cy’igifungo cya burundu n’ihazabu, icyo gihano gishobora kugabanywa ariko ntikijye munsi y’igifungo cy’imyaka cumi n’itanu (15) n’ihazabu ikaba yagabanywa ariko ntijye munsi ya kimwe cya kane cy’ihazabu nto iteganyirijwe icyaha cyakozwe. Ubujurire nta shingiro bufite. Amategeko yashingiweho: Itegeko Nº 059/2023 ryo ku wa 4/12/2023 rihindura Itegeko Nº 68/2018 ryo ku wa 30/8/2018 riteganya ibyaha n’ibihano muri rusange, ingingo ya 2. Itegeko Nº 69/2019 ryo kuwa 08/11/2019 rihindura ingingo ya 263 y’Itegeko Nº 68/2018 ryo kuwa 30/08/2018 riteganya ibyaha n’ibihano muri rusange, ingingo ya 11. Imanza zifashishijwe: RPAA00623/2025/CA, Ubushinjacyaha v. Niragire Cyprien, rwaciwe n’Urukiko rw’Ubujurire ku wa 06/02/2026. RPAA00538/2024, Ubushinjacyaha v. Cyuzuzo Jean Claude, rwaciwe n’Urukiko rw’Ubujurire ku wa 21/01/2025. Urubanza
I. IMITERERE Y’URUBANZA [1] Hakizimana Domicien yakurikiranweho kuba ku wa 17/10/2021 yarakoze icyaha cyo gutunda ibiyobyabwenge bihambaye byo mu bwoko bw’urumogi, aregerwa Urukiko Rwisumbuye rwa Rusizi mu rubanza RP00347/2021/TGI/RSZ rwaciwe ku wa 03/11/2021. [2] Muri urwo rubanza, Hakizimana Domicien yahamijwe icyaha cyo gutunda ibiyobyabwenge bihambaye byo mu bwoko bw’urumogi ahanishwa igifungo cy’imyaka 25 n’ihazabu ya 20.000.000Frw, ajurira mu Rukiko Rukuru, Urugereko rwa Rusizi narwo rumuhamya icyaha ariko rumugabanyiriza ibihano, rumuhanisha gufungwa imyaka 15 n’ihazabu ya 5.000.000Frw. [3] Hakizimana Domicien yajuririye Urukiko rw’Ubujurire, ubujurire bwe bwandikwa kuri RPAA00137/2024/CA, iburanishwa rishyirwa ku wa 11/2/2026, uregwa yitaba yunganiwe na Me Ndwaniye Pierre Claver naho Ubushinjacyaha buhagarariwe na Dr Bideri Diogène. [4] Mu mwanzuro we w’ubujurire no mu miburanire ye, Hakizimana Domicien nta kindi yasabye uretse kongera kugabanyirizwa igihano, agahabwa igifungo cy’imyaka 7 kuko yemera icyaha akanagisabira imbabazi, kuba ari ubwa mbere yari akoze icyaha, kuba nta ngaruka icyaha aregwa cyateje no kuba yarafatanwe ingano ntoya y’ibiyobyabwenge. [5] Kuri iyi ngingo Ubushinjacyaha bwasubije buvuga ko igihano yahawe aricyo gito gishoboka hakurijwe ingingo ya 2 (a) y’Itegeko Nº 059/2023 ryo ku wa 4/12/2023 rihindura Itegeko Nº 68/2018 ryo ku wa 30/8/2018 riteganya ibyaha n’ibihano muri rusange, akaba adashobora kongera kugabanyirizwa. UKO URUKIKO RUBIBONA [6] Ikibazo cyo kugabanya igihano kubera impamvu nyoroshyacyaha mu gihe igihano cyatanzwe aricyo gito gishoboka, cyatanzweho umurongo mu rubanza RPAA00538/2024 rwaciwe n’Urukiko rw’Ubujurire ku wa 21/01/2025 haburana Ubushinjacyaha na Cyuzuzo Jean Claude, aho rwemeje ko, iyo hari impamvu nyoroshyacyaha zemejwe n’umucamanza icyaha gihanishwa igihano cy’igifungo cya burundu n’ihazabu, icyo gihano gishobora kugabanywa ariko ntikijye munsi y’igifungo cy’imyaka cumi n’itanu (15) n’ihazabu ikaba yagabanywa ariko ntijye munsi ya kimwe cya kane cy’ihazabu nto iteganyirijwe icyaha cyakozwe ; uyu murongo ukaba ushingiye ku ngingo ya 2 y’Itegeko Nº 059/2023 ryo ku wa 04/12/2023 rihindura Itegeko Nº 68/2018 ryo ku wa 30/08/2018 riteganya ibyaha n’ibihano muri rusange. Uyu murongo niwo wakomeje gukurikizwa mu manza zaciwe n’uru Rukiko, rumwe mu ziheruka akaba ari urubanza RPAA00623/2025/CA1. [7] Kubera izo mpamvu, uru Rukiko rurasanga ubujurire bwa Hakizimana Domicien nta shingiro bufite kuko igihano cy’igifungo cy’imyaka 15 n’ihazabu ya 5.000.000Frw yahawe n’Urukiko Rukuru aricyo gito gishoboka ku cyaha yahamijwe, bityo kikaba kidashobora kongera kugabanywa. II. ICYEMEZO CY’URUKIKO 1 Reba urubanza RPAA00623/2025/CA rwaciwe n’Urukiko rw’Ubujurire kuwa 06/02/2026 haburana Ubushinjacyaha na Niragire Cyprien.
[8] Rwemeje ko ubujurire bwa Hakizimana Domicien nta shingiro bufite. [9] Rwemeje ko imikirize y’urubanza RPA00471/2021/HC/RSZ rwaciwe n’Urukiko Rukuru, Urugereko rwa Rusizi kuwa 28/02/2024, idahindutse mu ngingo zarwo zose. [10] Rwemeje ko igihano cy’igifungo cy’imyaka cumi n’itanu (15) no gutanga ihazabu y’amafaranga 5.000.000 Hakizimana Domicien yahanishijwe kigumyeho.