Kigali 30 April 2012

FDU-Inkingi condemn the police human rights violation and intimidation against the opposition members On Sunday 29th April 2012 around 15h00 the police arbitrary arrested and detained at Nyamirambo police station 9 leaders from PS Imberakuri Party while they were visiting Ntaganda Bernard’s Mother. These leaders were to this old mother home as sign of supporting and giving her their painful message after the Supreme Court decision on confirming 4 years in jail to Bernard Ntaganda; the president and founder of the PS  Imberakuri social Party.

The Rwandese police are alleging that these leaders of PS Imberakuri were arrested because of domicile violation of this old mother. This hunting, jailing and crimes fabrication to every opposition member aiming to silence all critics to the ruling party RPF, and shows clearly how many the security services  operate on behalf of ruling party RPF instead of serving all Rwandan.

READ THE LETTER HERE – Ingabire original letter to Chief Prosecutor

Released on request of Ms. Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza  Chair of FDU-INKINGI

                                                        by

Boniface Twagirimana

Interim Vice President

The High Court ruled on the exception to proceed while Madame Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza, FDU-Inkingi Chair, has withdrawn from the case. Trials in absentia are permissible provided the defendant is duly notified of the proceedings. “Madame Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza’s trial was almost at its end. She is not alone in this case. The appointment of a new counsel will delay the proceedings. In the highest interests of justice, the hearing will continue with no court appointed counsel, and she is no under any obligation to be present at trial…” says the High Court decision today in Kigali.

Kigali, April 17, 2012.

On Monday, April 16, 2012, Ms. Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza, Chair of the party FDU-Inkingi, decided to withdraw, with immediate effect, from the show trial brought against her by the prosecution and which has been dragging on for more than six months before the High Court of Kigali. Having completely lost confidence in the justice of her country, Ms. Ingabire Umuhoza will no longer attend the hearings which the Court would like to set up against her will, through the use of force. She decided to boycott them.

Kigali, 16 April  2012

Ms. Victoire Ingabire in Court

Following continuing intimidation of defense witnesses, the opposition leader Madame Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza, FDU – Inkingi Chair,  told today the High Court that she has irrevocably  lost trust in this show trial and that subsequently she will boycott all  the next hearings. She instructed her defense counsel to abide by her decision and stay away from this unfortunate circus.  The prosecutors told the court that the alleged intimidation  of defense witnesses is not enough reason to withdraw, and that she should be produced in court even if she persists to boycott.  Referring to the jurisprudence and rules of procedure on decisions rendered in the case ICTR v. Barayagwiza in Arusha, they suggested that a new counsel be designated for  “in absentia proceedings”. The Court ruling on the issue of the refusal to attend the trial proceedings is due on 18 April 2012.

Kugirango abanyarwanda n’abanyamahanga bose babone urubuga rusesuye rwo kwibuka ababo.

Umutwe wa politiki FDU-Inkingi n’umutwe wa RNC-Ihuriro Nyarwanda ejobundi kuwa gatandatu taliki ya 14 y’ukwezi kwa kane, byateguriye hamwe igikorwa cyo kwibuka ku nshuro ya 18 jenoside yo mu Rwanda.

Iyo mitwe yombi ya politi ikorera ahanini hanze y’igihugu ivuga ko yahisemo iyi taliki kugirango abanyarwanda n’abanyamahanga b’amoko yose biciwe mu Rwanda muri 1994 babashe kubona urubuga rusesuye rwo kwibuka.

Igitambo cya misa n’ibiganiro mpaka byaranze uwo munsi byabereye I Bruseli mu Bubiligi. Etienne Karekezi yabajije umuhuzabikorwa wa FDU-Inkingi, bwana Bucyeye Yozefu, umwe mu bari kw’isonga ryo gutegura ibyo bikorwa icyo bari bagamije. :  UMVIRIZA IKIGANIRO JOSEPH BUKEYE YAGIRANYE NA RADIO IJWI RY’AMERIKA

Source : VOA RADIYO IJWI RY’AMERIKA

Today, the Supreme Court of Rwanda shunned Ingabire petition on constitutionality of genocide ideology , revisionism and sectarianism laws. The official reason is that though the concerns look genuine, the petitioner did not append copies of the LAW N° 33 bis/2003 OF 06/09/2003 REPRESSING THE CRIME OF GENOCIDE, CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY AND WAR CRIMES.

Kigali, 12 April 2012.

Defense witness Colonel Michel Habimana who revealed yesterday that the terror case against the opposition leader Ingabire was trumped up by intelligence services in order to stifle her political ambitions, is under heavy intimidation and threats in order to change his story. The State machinery has embarked on an outrageous mission to “flip” or destroy the defense witnesses. Today, the witness narrated to the high court his ordeal after yesterday open court testimony and asked for protection for his life. We believe that the prosecutor’s contemptible conduct and threats towards defense witnesses are aiming to terrorise anybody willing to tell the truth in this case.

New twist in the political trial of Ms. Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza is likely pre-emptying the prosecution case as defence witnesses have substantiated the role of the secret police in the fabrication of terror evidence. The open court testimony of Lt Colonel Michel Habimana, former spokesperson of the FDLR rebel group has confirmed international human rights concerns over trumped-up evidence and politically motivated prosecutorial wrongdoings.

On 11 April 2012 hearing, the defence counsel told the court that, as a former prominent member of the FDLR rebel group, Michel Habimana had a lot to say about Vital Uwumuremyi, the key prosecution witness, in the case against Ms. Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza. Michel Habimana and Vital Uwumuremyi were arrested in the same circumstances, shared the same prison cell in military barracks for many months and were well known members of FDLR military wing. In this regard, the defence witness would be in a better position to shed light on the so-alleged collaboration between the FDLR and opposition parties, especially with FDU-INKINGI, and about the unknown CDF rebel group.

Kigali - The opposition leader Madame Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza,Chair of FDU-Inkingi, appeared in the Kigali high court again today. Her snail political trial started 6 months ago and is still continuing. For the last three days, the court examined the defense oral submission on charges of alleged acts of terrorism. In this matter, the defense motion claims that the National public prosecution Authority has trumped up the facts just to stifle her political activities because the prosecutor failed to substantiate his evidence in accordance with the scope of the law.The motion to arrest the judgement relies for reversal upon the insufficiency of the evidence as to this count to comply with the law applicable in this matter.

Article 3 of LAW No45/2008 Of 09/09/2008 ON COUNTER TERRORISM published in OG N°14 Of 06 April 2009 says: “An act considered as terrorism shall mean an act committed or a threat to commit an act in the interest of an individual, a group or a terrorist organization”. yet the whole government’s proof in this case does not show where the defendant committed any act of violence, or threatened or planed to commit any. The prosecutor’s witnesses pretended they have been in regular telephone communication with the key defendant in 2007 – 2008. Nevertheless the phone records provided by the Dutch authorities don’t show any phone calls to or from the Democratic Republic of the Congo where those rebels were based. The prosecutor’s evidential material occurred before the publication of the law and there is no retro activity of the Rwandan criminal law.

Alice Muhirwa is a 31 old-years and mother of 2. She holds a Bacc  degree in Economics  from the independent university of kigali. She also acquired a human rights certificate  in 2002 from the Christian Faith International (CFI)  and has over  5 years of experience working with local  organizations. She has been very active with  women’s student  association acting as Gender promoter , with a focus on promoting peace, gender equality and advocacy for women’s rights. Alice went into politics in 2010, she is currently  the National treasurer of a yet registered opposition political party named FDU-inkingi .