France Closes Genocide Probe Against Rwanda Ex-President's Widow

French judicial authorities have closed the investigation against Agathe Habyarimana, widow of Rwanda's former president Juvenal Habyarimana, regarding her alleged role in the 1994 genocide, without pressing charges. The investigation, initiated in 2008 after a complaint by a victims' association, sought to determine if she was part of the Hutu inner circle accused of orchestrating the genocide that killed around 800,000 people, mainly ethnic Tutsis. Despite repeated extradition requests from Rwanda, France has declined to send her back, citing insufficient evidence. Investigating magistrates ruled that there was no serious and consistent evidence to prove her complicity, describing the testimony as contradictory and unreliable. While the case is likely to be formally dismissed, French anti-terror prosecutors have appealed the decision, seeking further hearings. Agathe Habyarimana, who has lived in France since 1998, has consistently denied the allegations.