MONTREAL - A Rwandan war criminal showed no emotion at his sentencing hearing Tuesday as the Crown described the men's torture and rape of civilians during the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

Desire Munyaneza, 42, was convicted earlier this year of murdering and raping Tutsis.

He is the first person ever to be convicted under Canada's Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act.

Under Canadian law, crimes of such magnitude carry an automatic sentence of 25 years and lawyers argued Tuesday about whether the Toronto man should get parole before his sentence is completed.

Prosecutors at the Montreal courthouse argued Munyaneza should serve his full sentence before being eligible for parole.

Genocide survivor Caesar Gashabeze agrees.

"It will be good for the victims to see at least he has been sentenced to life imprisonment," said Gashabeze.

Intentional killings

The incidents date back to the country's bloody genocide during which 800-thousand minority Tutsis and moderate Hutus were murdered.

Quebec Superior Court Justice Andre Denis ruled in May that Munyaneza "intentionally killed Tutsi" and seriously wounded others.

Denis also recounted the horrific acts in his ruling, saying Munyaneza beat children tied up in sacks to death with sticks.

Defence lawyer Richard Perras says that Munyaneza should be eligible for parole after 20 years, but meanwhile he has launched an appeal saying his client is the victim of mistaken identity.

"Witnesses that had never identified the accused and suddenly in the courthouse, he's the only black guy sitting in the front and they say it's him," said Perras.

International law expert Bruce Broomhall thinks it's likely Munyaneza will not receive any breaks, in part to tell the world where Canada stands on war crimes.

"You can't commit mass murder in your homeland and move to Canada and start a clean slate as if nothing ever happened," said Broomhall. "To make that argument serious, you really do have to prosecute people sometimes."

Lengthy hearing

The judge heard testimony from 66 Crown and defence witnesses, often conducted with the help of translators and sometimes behind closed doors as witnesses feared reprisals at home in Rwanda.

Munyaneza arrived in Toronto in 1997 seeking refugee status but his claim was rejected.

He was arrested in October 2005 at his Toronto home after a lengthy RCMP investigation.

His wife and two children live in Toronto and had been present at previous court hearings, but were not in court on Tuesday.

Munyaneza's next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 29.