A U.N. court has sentenced a former Rwandan government minister to life in prison for her role in the 1994 genocide in that country.

The United Nations-backed tribunal in Tanzania sentenced Pauline Nyiramasuhuko Friday on charges of genocide, conspiracy to commit genocide and rape as a crime against humanity. She is the first women convicted by the tribunal.

Nyiramasuhuko was minister for family and women's affairs when some 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus were slaughtered during a three-month period. She was accused of ordering and assisting in atrocities that occurred in the southern Butare region during the killing spree.

Her son, Arsene Shalom Ntahobalim, was also sentenced to life in prison by the tribunal on similar charges. Four other local officials received sentences between 25 years and life in prison.