Rwandan Court Frees Opposition Leader Diane Rwigara

Rwandan Court on Friday freed Diane Rwigara, a prominent government critic, and her mother Adeline Rwigara, who were detained in September 2017.

Rwigara, a 37-year-old account, appeared in High Court facing charges of incitement and forgery, after she had challenged Paul Kagame in the August 2017 presidential election.

Her mother, Adeline, who was also in court, was being held on charges of discrimination and sectarian practices and inciting insurrection.

A panel of three judges ruled that the prosecution had failed to provide credible reasons why the pair should be kept in detention, and ordered their immediate release on bail. But, bail was granted on condition that both Rwigara and her mother do not travel out of the capital Kigali and that their travel documents be handed to authorities. Their trial will resume in November.

Rwigara was the only female challenger in the last year’s election that President Kagame won with almost 99% of the vote. Kagame who is serving his third term in office as President of the East African country since 2000 (18years), will serve out his 7-year tenure in 2024.

Rwigara was disqualified by the country’s electoral authorities before the elections were held.

President Kigame has been praised for bringing economic stability to the country following the 1994 genocide, in which some 800,00 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed by Hutu extremists. But he has been heavily criticized by human rights groups, who accuse him of suppressing opposition and ruling through fear.

Kagame shocked many in his country and around the world in September when he granted more than 2,000 prisoners an unexpected pardon.

Among the 2,410 prisoners released was Victoire Ingabire, the 49-year-old leader of the opposition FDU-Inkingi party. She had served eight years of her 15-year sentence.