Bizimungu had always distanced himself from the excesses of the Hutu regime
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Rwanda's first post-genocide president has been sentenced to 15 years in jail for embezzlement, inciting violence and associating with criminals.
Pasteur Bizimungu's trial was seen as a test of the judiciary's independence.
As a moderate Hutu, he had been presented as a symbol of reconciliation between Tutsis and Hutus.
But he resigned as president in 2000 amid growing differences with the government and was imprisoned - when he tried to form a political party.
Critic
Mr Bizimungu, his former minister of transport and six others were cleared on charges of threatening state security.
He was jailed for five years on each guilty count. Prosecutors had called for him to be sentenced to life in prison.
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Critics accuse Kagame of suppressing dissent
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He denied the charges.
His seven co-accused were also jailed for associating with criminals.
Human rights groups have questioned the evidence against the men and some claim the charges were politically motivated.
Mr Bizimungu was one of only a handful of Hutus to join the Rwandan Patriotic Front - the RPF - the rebel movement formed among Tutsi exiles in Uganda.
The RPF took control of Rwanda in July 1994, putting an end to the genocide organised by extremist Hutu leaders.
But after his resignation, the former president became a vocal critic of the RPF-led government.
Drama
The BBC's Rob Walker in Rwanda says that the trial was seen as particularly sensitive for the authorities as Mr Bizimungu is one of the few moderate Hutu politicians to publicly oppose the government and remain in the country.
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The verdict against Mr Bizimungu has been largely orchestrated by his political opponents
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While the RPF says it has introduced stability and multi-party democracy, its critics claim it has centralised power within a Tutsi elite and crushed potential opponents - by accusing them of promoting ethnic divisions.
The past weeks have seen moments of drama in the courtroom.
One prosecution witness withdrew his testimony, claiming it had been made under police duress.
Mr Bizimungu's lawyer was also briefly jailed by the judge for contempt of court.
The verdict was postponed from 27 May.
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