IMPRISONMENT OF VICTOIRE INGABIRE VIOLATES RWANDA'S OWN CONSTITUTION

ANN GARRISONJULY 28,2013

Rwanda's imprisoned opposition leader, Victoire Ingabire

^-A ⁺A

[Global: Africa] The hearings of the trial against Mrs. Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza before the Supreme Court resumed on July 22, 2013 with responses of Mrs. Ingabire's defense counsel comprising lawyers Iain Edwards and Gatera Gashabana. Ian Edwards told the court that his client is prosecuted in violation of Article 19 of the International Convention on Human Rights as well as Article 33 of the Rwandan Constitution relating to freedom of expression. The defense counsel argued that the fact that Mrs. Ingabire condemned the genocide against the Tutsi and also condemned war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by some elements from RPF-Inkotanyi, targeting the Hutu, as well as pointing out that families of the victims of those crimes deserve the right to commemorate and mourn their loved ones, cannot be construed to be a minimization of the genocide as alleged by the prosecution.

According to the prosecution, the fact that Mrs. Victoire Ingabire made such comments at the memorial site for the genocide against the Tutsi and finger pointed some RPF elements indicates that she meant double genocide.

The defense lawyers explained to the court how when the High Court was running out of legal arguments to convict their client on the crime of minimization of genocide, the judges resorted to the use of Yves Ternon's article which was posted on Wikipedia without explaining how this author was expert in legal matters.The defense lawyers had also pointed out the ambiguity of the law punishing genocide ideology and the minimization of genocide.

Meanwhile, the prosecution had argued that the law was clear and that the reason why the defense lawyers couldn't understand it was due to their limited knowledge of Kinyarwanda language. Such an ambiguity had prompted Mrs. Victoire Ingabire to bring the case before the Supreme Court which had dismissed it.

However, the Ministry of Justice had itself acknowledged that the law was ambiguous and non-compliant with the international standards and had submitted a draft of revision to parliament. It is therefore astonishing that this same law which the Ministry acknowledged was ambiguous and not meeting international standards is currently being used to convict many innocent people.

Mrs. Victoire Ingabire asked the court to increase the frequency of hearings so that the trial can end in July before the beginning of the judiciary summer recess in August. The judges seemed to approve the request and promised Mrs. Ingabire that they would make sure that at least all of the hearings are completed by the end of this month.

- See more at: http://www.blackstarnews.com/global-politics/global-politics/imprisonment-of-victoire-ingabire-violates-rwandas-own-constitution#sthash.2pHnkpmw.dpuf

[Rwanda Forum] Kigali-Kisangani: Muhoozi's bellicose tweets reignite regional tensions.

"My father, General Yoweri Museveni, told me a few months ago that I must turn the UPDF into a 'killing machine.' That is what we are working on." https://www.therwandan.com/kigali-kisangani-muhoozis-bellicose-tweets-reignite-regional-tensions/ Kigali-Kisangani: Muhoozi's bellicose tweets reignite regional tensions March 23, 2025 General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, commander of the Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) and son of President Yoweri Museveni, has once again shaken the regional diplomatic and military landscape with a series of controversial tweets. These posts, shared via his X account, come just after he completed an official visit to Kigali, where he was warmly received by the Chief of Staff of the Rwanda Defence Force, General Mubarakh Muganga, and personally thanked President Paul Kagame for his hospitality. In one of his most striking tweets, Muhoozi stated: "Within a week, either the M...

[AFRICAFORUM] Tr : [hinterland1] Tr : L'OCCUPATION RWANDAISE EN MARCHE

----- Mail transféré ----- De : Mpania Jean <drjeanmpania@yahoo.fr> À : Hinterland <hinterland1@yahoogroupes.fr> Envoyé le : Mercredi 26 février 2014 17h13 Objet : [hinterland1] Tr : L'OCCUPATION RWANDAISE EN MARCHE Le Mercredi 26 février 2014 9h56, congokdp <congokdp@gmail.com> a écrit : L'OCCUPATION RWANDAISE EN MARCHE : Voici comment les institutions et tout le système de sécurité de la RDC sont sous contrôle du Rwanda et les officiels congolais infiltrés par des «hirondelles» rwandaises! L'OCCUPATION RWANDAISE EN MARCHE : Voici comment les institutions et tout le système de sécurité de la RDC sont sous contrôle du Rwanda et les officiels congolais infiltrés par des «hirondelles» rwandaises! Le processus d'occupation de la RDC par le lobby tutsi rwandais passe par le...

[haguruka.com] Fw: DHR New Vision, Uganda @Gen Fred Rwigyema's untold story.

On Sunday, 22 November 2015, 18:52, "Jean Bosco Sibomana sibomanaxyz999@gmail.com [Democracy_Human_Rights]" <Democracy_Human_Rights@yahoogroupes.fr> wrote: Gen Fred Rwigyemas untold story By Muwonge Magembe The death of Gen. Aronda Nyakairima on September 12; eclipsed the 25th year death memorial of Maj. Gen. Fred Rwigyema which is commemorated every October. Rwigyema died strangely in October, 1990, after launching a military invasion against President Juvenal Habyarimana. Before he left for Rwanda, Rwigyema parked a coffee brown Mercedes Benz (G-Class) near the residence of then special administrator for Mbarara district, Henry Rwigyemera. Rwigyema started living in Uganda when he was only three years following his parents' relocation from Mukiranze village, Kamonyi district, Rwanda to Nshungerezi refuge camp, Ankole and Kahungye, Toro. Their relocation was motiv...

Rwanda Human Rights Observer

Search This Blog