The United States has transferred Teganya Jean Léonard to Rwanda to face prosecution over his alleged involvement in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

Teganya is suspected of participating in genocide and crimes against humanity during the 1994 atrocities, which claimed the lives of more than 800,000 people, according to widely cited historical estimates.

An arrest warrant for Teganya was issued in 2014. He was reportedly a former medical student and a member of the National Republican Movement for Democracy and Development (MRND), as well as the Interahamwe militia, which played a central role in carrying out the genocide.

According to the US Department of Justice, Teganya allegedly led groups of soldiers and Interahamwe militia members in identifying Tutsi patients and refugees hiding at the hospital. Those discovered were reportedly taken behind the maternity ward and killed. He was also accused of directing attacks against Tutsi women, including sexual violence, and participating in the killing of students in a university dormitory.

Teganya fled Rwanda in July 1994, travelling through the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya and India before reaching Canada in 1999. After Canadian authorities rejected his asylum application, he crossed into the United States in August 2014.

In 2019, a federal jury in Boston convicted him on two counts of immigration fraud and three counts of perjury for concealing information about his alleged activities and political affiliations during the genocide. He was subsequently sentenced to 97 months in prison.

Rwanda's National Public Prosecution Authority confirmed that Teganya was handed over to Rwandan authorities on Monday, November 9, 2026. He arrived in Kigali and was placed under police questioning as prosecutors prepare to advance the case.

His return marks another step in Rwanda's efforts to pursue individuals suspected of participating in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, including those who fled the country and lived abroad for decades.