The Trial of Ferdinand Nahimana and Hassan Ngeze for Incitement to Genocide
In 1990, the Hutu extremist magazine Kangura published the Hutu Ten Commandments. The directives included the following: “Every Hutu should know that every Tutsi is dishonest in business. His only aim is the supremacy of his ethnic group,” “The Hutu should stop having mercy on the Tutsi,” and “The Hutu must be firm and vigilant against their common Tutsi enemy.” Four years later, militant Hutu systematically slaughtered 800,000 defenseless men, women, and children.
The Rwandan genocide stands as one of the most tragic events in modern history. The extermination campaign targeted Tutsi, who despite sharing race, language, and religion with the Hutu, became their victims of unimaginable atrocities. The orgy of violence showed what human beings are capable of when they are mobilized to believe that other human beings are threatening and inferior.
What had mobilized such hatred? The Hutu‒Tutsi conflict was rooted in colonial rule when the Belgians favored the Tutsi minority over the Hutu majority, creating deep-seated resentment among the Hutu. After gaining independence, Hutu-led governments enacted discriminatory policies against the Tutsi, further escalating tension. But what was the influence of the Hutu hate media? Did hate media directly cause the genocide? And what was the motive of the media? Was it to incite violence or to sell magazines?
In 2003 the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda sought to hold media individuals accountable for their actions, emphasizing that incitement to violence is a crime under international law.
Trial Materials:
The “hate media” trial simulation includes 16 witnesses representing Tutsi survivors, Hutu moderates and extremists, American scholars, NATO peace keepers, Rwandan scholars, and defendants Hassan Ngeze and Ferdinand Nahimana. Seven exhibits are also included to be presented at trial.
The simulation includes roles for two prosecutors, three defense attorneys, and a panel of judges (the lead judge to be played by the teacher). Every student in the class will have a role as a witness, defendant, attorney, or judge. All witnesses are real historical figures who will testify to actual historical events.
The trial resources include a teacher’s guide explaining the historical significance of the trial, along with student background information on the historical context, time period, and circumstances in which the case is situated. Students are also provided with key terms, a timeline of significant events, and role sheets that give each student specific information their character can testify to.
Additional materials include information on the trial’s aftermath, discussion questions, and guidelines for effective student attorneys, witnesses, and jurors. Rubrics are also included to assess attorneys, witnesses, and jurors.
