Rwanda: The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is opposed to the weekly visits of Ms. Victoire Ingabire

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Rwanda: The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is opposed to the weekly visits of Ms. Victoire Ingabire

SEPTEMBER 14, 2013  

Kigali, September 13, 2013.

On Friday, September 13, 2013, the members of FDU-Inkingi political party went as usual to theKigalimaximum security prison, commonly known as 1930, to visit their party Chairperson who is detained there by the RPF regime for political reasons. Upon their arrival, an officer of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) blocked their access to Ms. Victoire Ingabire without giving any reason. Surprisingly, according to the prison instructions, the visitors were all carrying their identity cards and were not exceeding the maximum number set forth by the prison authorities. When the visitors attempted to plead their case, an officer of the CID branch of the prison, by the name of James Baguma, ordered them to return home immediately without any further ado.

When the party leadership was informed about such an incident, it contacted the penitential authorities. They responded that if indeed the visitors were carrying their identity cards, there should have been no reason to prevent them from meeting with Ms. Victoire Ingabire. However, said authorities did not dare to upset the CID by allowing the visit to proceed.

Lately, such acts of harassment against opposition leaders, who are scattered in Rwandan prisons, have increased. This is also the case in Mpanga prison where Dr. Theoneste Niyitegeka, the unfortunate candidate in the 2003 presidential elections. It has been a while that he has been held in solitary confinement within said prison simply for having protested against the mistreatments that the prison guards inflicted him.

The party FDU-Inkingi once again reminds the Rwandan authorities that nothing beats the respect of human rights. A country cannot be governed on the basis of anyone's individual emotions. The authorities must respect the laws and regulations, which they enacted themselves, instead of unflinchingly letting RPF agents to make the law.

FDU-INKINGI
Boniface Twagirimana
Interim Vice President

FDU-CEP-Kubuzwa gusurwa VIU-13sept2013 ENG