Rwanda: The conviction of Ms. Victoire Ingabire to 15 years in prison is a verdict against the whole Rwandan Democratic opposition.

http://www.fdu-rwanda.com/en/

Rwanda: The conviction of Ms. Victoire Ingabire to 15 years in prison is a verdict against the whole Rwandan Democratic opposition.

DECEMBER 14, 2013  

RWANDA 
Amahoro People's Congress  -    FDU-INKINGI -     RNC  

December 13, 2013

 

The conviction of Ms. Victoire Ingabire, FDU-INKINGI's Chair, to 15 years in prison, far from being an isolated case, is a strong signal that the RPF regime has sent to the whole democratic opposition. Indeed, the current charges against Ms. Ingabire are somehow the same as those uttered against other opposition leaders convicted by Rwandan courts, namely: Deo Mushayidi, Chairman of PDP- IMANZI and Bernard Ntaganda, President of PS- IMBERAKURI. Ms. Ingabire atones for "the sins" of any democratic opposition.

However, during the hearings, Ms. Victoire Ingabire proved beyond any reasonable doubt, that the charges preferred against her were neither substantiated by any credible evidence nor any verifiable fact; a strong indication for a purely political trial.

When Ms. Victoire Ingabire was sentenced to eight years by the High Court, she was accused of conspiracy against the regime and minimization of genocide. The Supreme Court retained these two charges and added the crime of spreading rumors. The charge of conspiracy against the regime was based on the creation of an alleged armed rebellion: the so-called Coalition of Defense Forces (CDF) whose existence was demolished during the hearings at the Supreme Court by the same disillusioned witnesses that the Prosecutor had previously produced before the High Court. A new witness even revealed in great details how the plan was concocted at the Mutobo reeducation camp, Ruhengeri.

The platform FDU-INKINGI, IHURIRO-RNC and AMAHORO-PC expresses its full and unconditional support to Ms. Victoire Ingabire. It reiterates that it will never get intimidated by such manipulations of this politicised judiciary by the RPF regime to deter any opposition. The Kigali regime believes that by imprisoning Ms. Ingabire it will politically shut her up, distance her from her political struggle and deter the rest of the democratic opposition. It is deadly wrong. Ms. Ingabire's struggle for a free and democratic society and for a genuine harmony between all Rwandans is indeed stronger than her. She cannot run away from it.

The platform FDU-INKINGI, IHURIRO-RNC and AMAHORO-PC urges the Rwandan people to take their destiny into their hands and reclaim their civil rights, because nobody else will do it for them. The platform will remain at their side, always ready to channel their demands. It also calls upon the friends of Rwanda to use their leverage over the RPF regime so that it may regain its senses and open up political space as it was recently urged by the European Parliament in its resolution 2013/2641 (RSP).

For the Platform,

Dr. Nkiko Nsengimana, Coordinator
FDU-Inkingi
Lausanne, Switzerland

Etienne Masozera, President
Amahoro People's Congress
Ottawa, Canada

Dr. Theogene Rudasingwa, Coordinator
Rwanda National Congress (RNC)
Washington DC, USA