CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - A man pleaded not guilty to charges of procuring U.S. citizenship unlawfully based on providing false information about participating in the Rwandan genocide.
An indictment handed up by a federal grand jury alleges that Idrissa Gasana, 53, of Manchester, provided false and fraudulent information on his application for naturalization as a U.S. citizen.
One of the documents that Gasana is alleged to have falsified is a “Questionnaire for Rwandan Visa Applicants” that seeks to determine whether those seeking refugee status in the United States participated in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. His application for naturalization as a U.S. citizen was approved in 2010.
The indictment alleges that at the time of his naturalization, Gasana couldn’t satisfy the requirements because he had participated in the Rwandan genocide “and in doing so committed numerous acts of violence, including murder, persecution, and theft.”
Gasana was arrested on Thursday. He was being held in custody pending a detention hearing on Feb. 11. His lawyer, Jeffrey Levin, said he had no comment at this time.
In 2013, Beatrice Munyenyezi was convicted and sentenced in New Hampshire to 10 years in prison for lying about her role in the genocide to obtain U.S. citizenship. She is seeking a new trial.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.