Rwanda: HRD Epimaque Kwokwo unlawfully detained and later released
Epimaque Kwokwo. Photo: IGIHEOn 13 October 2015 human rights defender Mr Epimaque Kwokwo was summoned to appear before the Rwanda Directorate General of Immigration and Emmigration (CEPGL) for questioning following his arrest.
Two Rwandan immigration officials arrested Mr Epimaque Kwokwo the previous day, when the human rights defender was questioned about his work permit and the registration status of the Ligue pour la défense des droits de la personne dans la région des grands lacs (League for the defense of human rights in the Great Lakes region – LDGL).
Mr Epimaque Kwokwo is the acting Executive Secretary of LDGL, which is an umbrella organisation within the Great Lakes region that unites 25 member human rights organizations in Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The organisation has served as a focal point for the protection of human rights defenders in Rwanda and has worked with victims of human rights violations across the region, seeking to guarantee their safety.
On 12 October 2015, at approximately 1pm, two Rwandan immigration officials arbitrarily arrested human rights defender Mr Epimaque Kwokwo at the headquarters of LDGL. The human rights defender was then taken to the Rwanda Directorate General of Immigration and Emmigration building. Mr Epimaque Kwokwo was asked to present a document authorising him to travel around the Great Lakes countries and questioned about his work permit and LDGL's registration status. The human rights defender explained that he had a travel document issued by the CEPGL granting him this authorisation, but that he did not have it with him. He was later released under the condition that he present himself again before the immigration authority the following morning at 10am for questioning and to present the above-mentioned document.
His arrest happened while a meeting was being held at LDGL in which a handover to the newly elected Board of Directors was being conducted. The elections had taken place a week prior during a General Assembly of LDGL held in Goma, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Prior to these elections, the outgoing chair of LDGL, Mr Cyriaque Ndayisenga, dismissed Mr Kwokwo as the organisation's executive secretary and appointed Mr Anastase Gakire as his replacement – a decision that could only be taken by the whole Board of Directors.
A number of members of the outgoing board rejected the chair's decision as violating the organisation's bylaws; and on 12 October 2015 Mr Anastase Gakire was denied access to the handover meeting, which led him to call the police and say that he was removed from the meeting by force. Shortly after Mr Gakire's call, the police disrupted the meeting and arrested eight members of the organisation, who were later released without charges after several hours of questioning.
The situation of human rights defenders and human rights organisations is particularly fragile in Rwanda, with LDGL being one of the few human rights organisations still actively engaged in human rights activities in the country. Since the disruption and the arrests of its members on 12 October 2015 LDGL has not returned to its normal activites and remains closed.
Front Line Defenders is concerned about the ongoing acts of harassment against several members of LDGL , including Mr Epimaque Kwokwo, especially in the context of systematic harassment and interference in the legitimate work of human rights defenders in Rwanda. Front Line Defenders believes this to be an attempt to prevent the organisation from carrying out its peaceful and legitimate work in defence of human rights.
Posted by: JNepo <jnmani03@yahoo.com>
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