Rwanda genocide court: life sentence on ex-governor

NAIROBI (Reuters) - A U.N. court trying masterminds of Rwanda's 1994 genocide on Friday sentenced a former provincial governor to life imprisonment for his role in the killings, including helping soldiers kill refugees in a church.

The Tanzania-based International Criminal Court found Francois Karera guilty on three counts of genocide and crimes against humanity for encouraging or ordering attacks on ethnic Tutsis in villages around the capital Kigali.

Hutu extremists killed 800,000 minority Tutsis and moderate Hutus in 100 days of massacres.

The court said Karera instigated or ordered the killing of hundreds at a church in Ntarama sector. "Karera was present and encouraged the attackers," it said in a statement.

In another instance, Karera either ordered or encouraged attacks on Tutsis in Ruhashi commune and in Nyarugenge commune, mainly at roadblocks, the statement added.

"In sentencing Karera ... the Chamber took into account in particular his position of authority and the number of victims who were killed at Ntarama Church."

Karera was arrested in Kenya in 2001 and immediately transferred to Tanzania. He was acquitted of one of the four counts against him for complicity to commit genocide.

The sentencing brings the number of those convicted since the court held its first trial in 1997 to 30.

Five defendants have been acquitted.

The court has until the end of 2008 to complete its work.

(Reporting by George Obulutsa, Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)