Rwandan president Paul Kagame holds a press conference in Kigali, Rwanda, Monday, Aug. 9 2010. © AP Photo / Margaret Cappa
By Amnesty International’s Central and East Africa Campaigner.
Freedom of expression in Rwanda has been unduly restricted for many years. The killings of a political opponent and a journalist in 2010 indicate how people who criticize the authorities are often at risk.
We believe the Rwandan government should re-open the investigation into the killings of Jean-Leonard Rugambage and André Kagwa Rwisereka by establishing two separate independent commissions of enquiry.
One year ago, Rwandan journalist and deputy editor of the Kinyarwanda newspaper Umuvugizi, Jean-Leonard Rugambage, was shot dead outside his home in Kigali on 24 June 2010. There is no evidence that Rwandan police have explored those leads into the killing of Jean-Leonard Rugambage that pointed towards it being politically motivated.
20 days later, on 14 July 2010, André Kagwa Rwisereka, vice president of the opposition Democratic Green Party, was found dead in Butare, southern Rwanda. He had been beheaded. No-one has been brought to justice for André Kagwa Rwisereka’s murder. The police opened investigations, but the prosecution claim to have insufficient evidence to press charges.
The months leading up to the August 2010 presidential elections, which President Kagame won with 93 per cent of the vote, were marked by a clampdown on freedom of expression and association. Help us speak up for freedom of expression and mark these key dates.
Take action by…
Joining our call to allow criticism to be voiced in #Rwanda. Copy and paste the messages below & send them to @PaulKagame on 2 key dates:
24 June
@PaulKagame: I’m calling on the Rwandan authorities to re-open the investigation into
#Rugambage’s murder 1 year ago
With a follow-up tweet linking to the page with instructions for others who want to take the action:
Join me & message the Rwandan authorities to re-open the investigation into #Rugambage’s killing @PaulKagame. http://bit.ly/kagameAI
14 July
@PaulKagame: I’m calling on the Rwandan authorities to re-open the investigation into
#Rwisereka’s murder 1 year ago
With a follow-up tweet linking to the page with instructions for others who want to take the action:
Join me & message the Rwandan authorities to re-open the investigation into #Rwisereka’s
killing @PaulKagame. http://bit.ly/kagameAI
Disclaimer – Amnesty International has specified the example tweets and is not responsible for alternative messages sent by users.
If President Kagame responds to individuals, users are recommended to send him a link to the campaign: http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/AFR47/002/2011/en/ef7cd1a3-d1db-46da-b569-818b7555b83b/afr470022011en.pdf
MR Kagame, Justice delayed is justice denied- please bring the killers of these individuals to justice- Killing journalists and political opponents is bad sign for democracy and rule of law and social development. The police should re-open the investigations and punish whoever committed this heinous crimes. If Rwandans who want to speak out are silenced and targeted then how can Rwanda achieve economic and social progress, Please allow Rwandans to express freely issues that affect their country.
You people are talking non sens. Why everytime when someone gets killed in any African country you start blaming the government was if there can be no other reason to that? Do you know any government in the world which kills a large number of foreign people like western countries? Why did the usa kill bin laden without taking him to court? then Amnesty closes its eyes to that but goes to fool African governments like Rwandan. I’m not Rwandese but i’ve been following this country’s progress since 6 years now. Relating the murders of Rugambagwe and the other man is so baseless.
‘VOICE IS OUR HumanRigts’ we shall overcome very soon.
This Amnesty concoctions have become monotonous. These cases have been fully explained by Rwandan police but they keep bringing the same accusations. Cant you give us serious issues
We are fed up with these baseless accusations;murders of Rugambage are not govt of Rwanda, plz read their names every where in media. there is no relationship with govt or political issue with the journalist; Read and find out who is Nduguyangu.
We Rwandese are living under a concealed dictatorship. 1)All elections are manipulated(elections dictated from the Kagame party) 2. People live under constant watch.People who dare criticize government policies are reported missing or dead the next day. 3) Too much injustice now taking place in Rwanda.One example: rice farmers in Bugarama sector stripped of their land, and it was given to the ruling party activists. 4) Most of local businesses forced to pay a part of their income to RPF or close or sell to RPF( See the CIMERWA plant for example). RPF now owns the majority of businesses here. 5)public and private employees are forced to contribute part of their salaries to RPF(especially during the election period).Those who don’t loose their jobs. Please the West, especially the Americans, help us Rwandans. Please.
It is not only limited from here. Kagame is a genocide suspect over the genocidal killings he perpetrated in DR Congo against Hutu refugee. The list id long, Kibeho, Ruhengeri, Gisenyi, ethnic cleansing in Umutara, Kibungo and Bugesera and throughout Rwanda as it was recorded in Gerson’s report. This kind of impunity should be ended. Now, Kagame is continuing his assassination ploy even abroad by hunting down Rwandan refugees.Yet he is pressurizing and bribing some host countries and UNHCR officials to strip refugee status to the victims of his atrocities.