Rwandan opposition leader arrested for alleged plot to ‘incite public unrest’

Rwandan authorities have detained opposition leader Victoire Ingabire on charges of planning to “incite public unrest”.

The Rwanda Investigation Bureau announced that Ingabire was being held at Remera police station awaiting prosecution. She is accused of various crimes, including forming an armed rebel group and plotting activities to instigate public unrest.

Ingabire, who returned to Rwanda from the Netherlands in 2010 to run for president but was disqualified, had previously served time in prison until 2018 for offences including conspiracy against the government, terrorism, and spreading rumors to incite violence.

Iain Edwards, a member of Ingabire’s legal team, stated, “This arrest is part of the ongoing harassment and intimidation against her and the political opposition in Rwanda.”

President Paul Kagame, in power since 2000, has been praised for Rwanda’s economic progress but has been criticized for suppressing dissent and winning elections by overwhelming margins.

Ingabire recently appeared in court regarding a case involving nine individuals, including a prominent journalist, who have been detained since 2021 for allegedly conducting training sessions aimed at destabilizing the government. Ingabire denied any involvement in these activities.

Edwards criticized the judicial proceedings, claiming they are politically motivated. He highlighted the lack of independence in Rwanda’s justice system and the government’s disregard for legal norms.

Kagame’s spokesperson did not respond immediately to requests for comment.

Last year, Ingabire defended herself in a letter to the Financial Times after Kagame labeled her an “unrepentant criminal”. She criticized Kagame’s authoritarian rule and his threats against her.

In 2017, the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights ruled that Ingabire’s rights were violated during her imprisonment in 2010. Despite the ruling, Rwanda did not comply, but Kagame eventually granted her and thousands of other prisoners a pardon.

Kagame assumed control of Rwanda after the genocide in 1994 and has extended his rule through constitutional amendments. Opposition figures have faced persecution, with some dying under suspicious circumstances and many imprisoned.

Recently, Kagame’s government and Congo reached a preliminary agreement to end longstanding conflicts, with mediation from the US and Qatar.