Rwanda: The judgment on the appeal of Mrs Victoire Ingabire to the Supreme Court is set for November 1, 2013
Kigali July 31, 2013.
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.
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.
FDU-INKINGI
Boniface Twagirimana
Interim Vice President
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