US congress urges President Paul Kagame and his Government to release Prof Peter Erlinder

111TH CONGRESS                                                                                       IV
2D SESSION

Urging the Government of the Republic of Rwanda and President Paul

Kagame to immediately release human rights lawyer Professor Peter
Erlinder from jail and allow him to return to the United States.

Urging the Government of the Republic of Rwanda and

President Paul Kagame to immediately release human
rights lawyer Professor Peter Erlinder from jail and

allow him to return to the United States.

Whereas the Constitution of Rwanda, adopted on May 26,

Congresswoman Betty McCollum represents Professor Peter Erlinder in Minnesota’s 4th District.

2003, states that Rwanda is ‘‘Resolved to build a State
governed by the rule of law, based on respect for fundamental
human rights, pluralistic democracy, equitable
power sharing, tolerance and resolution of issues through
dialogue’’

Whereas there is an increasing pattern of restrictions of free

expression in Rwanda ahead of the August presidential
elections, including the denial of a work visa to a senior
Human Rights Watch researcher and the crackdown of
opposition members and journalists;

Whereas the United States Government has provided over

Congressman Keith Ellison, D-MN, represents Minnesota’s 5th District and is a personal friend of Professor Peter Erlinder
 

$1,034,000,000 billion in United States taxpayer-funded
foreign assistance to Rwanda since 2000, and an additional
$240,200,000 is proposed in the President’s fiscal
year 2011 budget;

Whereas Peter Erlinder is a law professor at William Mitchell

College of Law in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and has served
as a lead defense attorney for the United Nationals International
Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in Arusha, Tanzania;

Whereas Peter Erlinder was arrested on May 28, 2010, in

Kigali, Rwanda, and is currently being detained at
Kicukiro Prison on charges of ‘‘genocide ideology’’ based
in part upon legal arguments made during his work as
a defense attorney at the United Nations International
Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda; and

Whereas United States Department of State Spokesman P.J.

Crowley announced on June 3, 2010, that the United
States Government was pressing the Government of
Rwanda to ‘‘resolve this case quickly’’ and that the Department
of State hoped for Peter Erlinder’s release on
‘‘compassionate grounds’’: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives urges
2 the Government of the Republic of Rwanda and President
3 Paul Kagame to immediately release Professor Peter
4 Erlinder from jail and allow him to return to the United
5 States.

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