Victoire Ingabire on her opposition to the Singapore development model for Rwanda
Rwanda: The Dutch Ambassador made a courtesy visit to Madame Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza
Press release
The hearings in the trial of political prisoner Madame Victoire
Ingabire Umuhoza, chair of FDU INKINGI continued on Wednesday, July 31,
2013 before the Supreme Court. Very many party activists made the trip
to the Court to show their support.
As the judge had decided, at the request of the accused, to increase
the frequency of weekly hearings from 2 to 3 so as to end the hearings
before the judicial recess that begins early August 2013 the hearings
closed on Wednesday the 31st 2013. . The hearings had started on the 25th of March 2013. The judgement will be read on the 1st of November 2013. If this does not happen for any reason, the parties will be notified at least one week in advance.
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| Ms Ingabire Umuhoza Victoire the Would-be President of Rwanda Now in Prison |
The hearings before the Supreme Court began on 25 March 2013
following appeals made by both the Defence team of Victoire Ingabire
Umuhoza and the Prosecution. Mrs Victoire Ingabire complained about
flaws in the judgment in the Kigali High Court. She pointed out the
blatant bias of the court to the point that she did not even have the
right to reply and for the defence to make its presentation. She also
highlighted to the court the fact that she had been convicted over
crimes of minimization of genocide and conspiracy against the regime,
while these charges were not included in the indictment, and were not
mentioned during her interrogation or in court during the hearings.
She also complained of the violation by the Rwandan Government of the
agreements that it signed with the Dutch Government regarding documents
handed over to the Rwandan government in line with rogatory
arrangements between the two governments.
For its part, the prosecution appealed, alleging that the sentence
handed down by the High Court had been too lenient, despite sufficient
evidence of guilt that it claimed to have produced in court.
The trial was marred by numerous contradictions in the testimonies of
co-defendants who had given statements to prove that Ms. Ingabire was
complicit in hatching a terrorist plan aimed at launching an armed
rebellion. They told the court that the alleged rebel force had never
existed. This was corroborated by the statement of a new witness who
informed the court about the fraudulent circumstances in which the
intelligence services had obtained the confession of a co-accused in
order to keep Mrs Victoire Ingabire in prison and hence to prevent her
from pursuing her political activities.
The prosecution meanwhile continued to insist on the statements made
by Mrs. Ingabire at the genocide memorial in Gisozi on January 16, 2010
during her visit to pay tribute to victims of Tutsi genocide. Responding
to a question from reporters, she pointed that much as the Hutu who
killed Tutsi during the genocide, have to accept to face the law, she
regretted that the Hutu victims killed by some elements of RPF-INKOTANYI
were forgotten and that their families were not allowed to give them a
decent burial as well as the failure to acknowledge each one’s pain. She
said that genuine reconciliation and national unity cannot be achieved
without addressing these issues.
Although the trial of Mrs Victoire Ingabire came to an end, the
authoritarian regime of President Kagame continues its campaign of
repression against members of the opposition, using the entire state
apparatus, including the security services to intimidate, harass and
drag unjustly to courts anyone who does not embrace the ideology and
methods of the ruling Party RPF.
It is in this context that Mr. Sylvain Sibomana and Dominique
Shyirambere arrested during the opening of the trial March 25, 2013,
continue to be abused by the regime, which has been dragging them from
one court to another just to keep them in prison as long as possible.
Similarly, on 11 July 2013, the court sentenced seven party members to
two years, accused of failing to report the presence of the FDU-Inkingi
Secretary-General ad interim party, who had met them to discuss the
program of the party. They were accused of not having reported to the
authorities of his presence, something that they did not have to do
because he was not a wanted person by the State.
To these political prisoners one should add Mr. Mushayidi, Chairman
of PDP Imanzi, sentenced to life imprisonment and Mr Bernard Ntaganda,
President of PS Imberakuri party, sentenced to 4 years in jail.
The party FDU INKINGI will never give up in asking the government to
reconsider its position and allow Rwandans to join political
organizations of their choice, as provided by the law. The root cause of
the problems faced by Rwanda, Rwandans and neighbouring countries is
that the RPF regime is willing to understand that differences can be
ironed out through dialogue, peaceful discussions, mutual respect and
tolerance, instead of using force or terrorism to address them. This way
of addressing problems can only lead to antagonism.
The Truth can be buried and stomped into the ground where none can see, yet eventually it will, like a seed, break through the surface once again far more potent than ever, and Nothing can stop it. Truth can be suppressed for a “time”, yet It cannot be destroyed. ==> Wolverine
