June 24th, 2014

His Excellency Mark Rutte
Minister-president, Minister van Algemene Zaken
Postbus 20001; 2500 EA Den Haag
The Netherlands

Re: Plea to stop attempt to deport Rwandan Refugees and government critics living in the Netherlands

Your Excellency,

We, the undersigned, send this letter to your Excellency, to express our deep concerns for the security of many Rwandan refugees who have sought asylum in the Netherlands. This urgent call by the leaders of Rwandan opposition groups FDU-Inkingi, Rwanda National Congress (RNC), Parti Social-Imberakuri, Amahoro People’s Congress, PDR-Ihumure and PDP-Imanzi is based on unrelenting threats to deport to their home country, without any due process, many Rwandan refugees accused of acts of genocide. We believe that the decision of Madam Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza (Chair, FDU-Inkingi) and Me Bernard Ntaganda (Founder and Chair, PS-Imberakuri) to take part in the presidential elections in 2010 and the subsequent flawed judicial process that they faced, should be an eye opener to the Netherlands authorities.

Paris, June 27, 2014

Today, Mr. Boniface Twagirimana, FDU-Inkingi Interim Vice Chair, was stripped off his mobile phones and national ID card, confiscated by secret services, when he went to visit the party Interim Secretary-General, Mr. Sylvain Sibomana, in Kimironko detention facility, where the latter has been detained since April 2, 2013 on politically motivated charges. Allegations of torture targeting FDU-Inkingi detained members have been reported in Kimironko, Muhanga and Mpanga prisons.