Norway Extradites Another Rwandan Genocide Suspect
The Norwegian government has extradited François Gasana, also known as Dusabe Frank, to Rwanda. He is accused of involvement in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Gasana was handed over to Rwandan authorities on Friday after spending several years living in Europe.
Born in 1972 in the former Ndaro Commune — now Ndaro Sector in Ngororero District — Gasana was a student at Save Secondary School during the genocide.
He was arrested in Oslo in October 2022 following a detailed investigation by Norway’s criminal police division, Kripos. Following his arrest, legal proceedings were initiated to facilitate his extradition to Rwanda.
In September 2023, the Oslo District Court approved his extradition. Gasana appealed the decision, but in April 2024, the Court of Appeal upheld the ruling. Norway’s Supreme Court confirmed the decision in June 2024. The extradition was subsequently endorsed by the Norwegian Ministry of Justice in February 2025 and later ratified by the Council of Ministers.
Norway stated that extraditing individuals accused of genocide demonstrates its commitment to combating impunity and fulfilling international obligations — particularly those outlined in United Nations conventions on the prevention and punishment of genocide.
Faustin Nkusi, spokesperson for Rwanda’s National Public Prosecution Authority, welcomed the move, describing it as a major step forward in international justice.
“We thank the Government of Norway for cooperating in the extradition of François Gasana. We submitted an official request in 2017. His handover is a strong message that no country should become a safe haven for suspects of the Genocide against the Tutsi,” Nkusi said.
He noted that although Gasana was a student at the time, he allegedly played an active role in the massacres carried out in the former Kivumu Commune, in the Prefecture of Kibuye. He is accused of personally killing a Tutsi child using a sharp wooden stake and encouraging others to commit genocide.
This is not the first time Norway has extradited a Rwandan genocide suspect. In 2017, Charles Bandora was also sent back to Rwanda, where he is currently serving a 30-year prison sentence after being found guilty of genocide.
Gasana’s extradition marks another milestone in the global fight against impunity for genocide crimes and highlights the growing international determination to bring suspected perpetrators to justice, no matter where they may be.
