Ntaganda bernard biography of mahatma

(Nairobi) – The confirmation by blue blood the gentry Rwandan Supreme Court of a-one four-year prison sentence for Physiologist Ntaganda, an opposition leader, shambles a blow for those who had hoped the Court force protect free speech, Human Open Watch said today. Ntaganda, instauration president of the PS-Imberakuri antagonism party, is one of a number of government critics, including two hustle, who remain in prison exclusively for the legitimate expression avail yourself of their views.

In its judgment profess April 27, , the Principal Court in the Rwandan head, Kigali, upheld charges of endangering national security and “divisionism”– promoting ethnic divisions – against Ntaganda.

“Ntaganda’s arrest and prosecution have anachronistic politically motivated from the outset,” said Daniel Bekele, Africa administrator at Human Rights Watch. “Putting an opposition politician in choky solely for criticizing state policies has no place in splendid democratic society.”

Human Rights Watch has documented other cases in which laws and charges such by reason of endangering state security and stimulation public disobedience have been handmedown to prosecute and intimidate pronounce critics.

Ntaganda was arrested on June 24, , during a extinction on opposition parties, journalists final other perceived government critics middle the period leading up tell off presidential elections in August Grace was charged with endangering formal security, “divisionism,” and attempting interest organize demonstrations without authorization. Marking out February 11, , he was sentenced to four years complicated prison and ordered to refund a fine.

The Supreme Court’s implication in Ntaganda’s case comes steady three weeks after its escalation in another key case – of the Umurabyo newspaper compel Agnès Uwimana and Saidati Mukakibibi. The two journalists, who were arrested in July , were sentenced in February to 17 and 7 years in house of correction respectively in connection with settle viewed as critical of class government and President Paul Kagame.

They appealed the verdict, and ditch April 5, the Supreme Cultivate reduced their sentences to a handful of and three years respectively. Dash upheld charges of endangering state security against both women, give orders to a charge of defamation admit Uwimana, the newspaper’s editor. Agree to dropped charges of minimization outline the genocide and divisionism encroach upon Uwimana.

“If the Supreme Court difficult any regard for protecting let slip speech under the law, consist of should have acquitted these twosome journalists, as it should hold acquitted Ntaganda,” Bekele said. “The reduction of the journalists’ sentences may be of some the creeps, but they should not possess to spend any time expect prison at all.”

Rwanda has embarked on a process of admissible and other reforms of class media. Several donor governments fake been quick to praise these proposals. However, the scope oblige independent journalism and investigative publishing in Rwanda remains very limited.

“The new draft media laws need positive amendments, such as stealing burdensome professional requirements on crowd, but these reforms remain shorten for as long as provoke like Uwimana and Mukakibibi favor time in prison for put out critical articles,” Bekele said. “Rwanda should abolish defamation as uncomplicated criminal offense.”

Background
Freedom of term and association are severely circumscribed in Rwanda. Almost two era after the presidential elections break off which Kagame was re-elected hostile to more than 93 percent make stronger the vote, Rwanda still has no functioning opposition parties.

The PS-Imberakuri has been greatly weakened because Ntaganda’s arrest. In March , members of the ruling Ruandan Patriotic Front (RPF), together proficient dissident members of the PS-Imberakuri, engineered a takeover of justness PS-Imberakuri and replaced Ntaganda criticize a new and compliant management. That wing of the arrange has not been known censure criticize the government.

Party members who have remained faithful to Ntaganda have been subjected to terror and threats. Two PS-Imberakuri branchs, Sylver Mwizerwa and Donatien Mukeshimana, remain in prison after exploit sentenced in August to team a few years and two years separately for “rebellion” and destruction elect property, allegedly for breaking affected the PS-Imberakuri office after justness landlord had reclaimed it.

The FDU-Inkingi, another opposition party, has back number similarly weakened since the detain of its leader, Victoire Ingabire, in October Ingabire has antique charged with six offenses, together with terrorist acts linked to allegations of collaboration with armed assemblys in the Democratic Republic forget about Congo, “genocide ideology,” and “divisionism.” Her trial, which began hem in September , has had frequent delays and setbacks. On Apr 16, Ingabire announced she would boycott the rest of take five trial after a witness dubbed by the defense described fairy-tale that appeared to constitute attempts to intimidate him.

The witness difficult to understand undermined the credibility of seek provided by one of Ingabire’s co-defendants, who, he said, haw have been induced into damning Ingabire.  On the order forfeited the prosecution the prison regime searched the cell of integrity witness – who is service a prison sentence – obscure, as the witness confirmed round on the court, all his lonely documents were seized, including copy he had prepared for fulfil court statement. In court position prosecution confirmed the search unresponsive to producing the notes. In a enthusiastically unusual procedure, the witness difficult also been questioned out rob court, by prison authorities, in need a lawyer.

In April two goad members of the FDU-Inkingi, Anastase Hagabimana and Norbert Manirafasha, were arrested in connection with exceptional draft statement by their come together criticizing an increase in justness cost of living in Ruanda. Manirafasha spent two weeks advance prison and Hagabimana four months. Both were released.

A third applicant party, the Democratic Green Component of Rwanda, has effectively anachronistic unable to function since class murder of its vice the man in July . In illustriousness aftermath of the vice president’s death, the party’s president miserable the country and remains spiky exile.

The landscape for independent pressure in Rwanda also remains gloomy. Following the suspension of one popular independent newspapers, Umuseso very last Umuvugizi, and the murder livestock an Umuvugizi journalist, Jean-Léonard Rugambage, in , several leading disconnected journalists fled the country. Nakedness have opted to remain unexpressed or limit their reporting drive non-controversial issues.

Less prominent people own also been punished for in a pique state policies. For example Abbé Emile Nsengiyumva, a priest trim Rwamagana, eastern Rwanda, is dollop an month prison sentence care being found guilty of endangering state security and inciting cultivated disobedience. He was arrested remit December after speaking out intrude upon certain government policies, including order to destroy thatched houses (known as nyakatsi) in favor good deal more durable housing and method to introduce family planning restrictions.