OPEN LETTER
Martin SCHULZ
President of the European Parliament
Rue Wiertz, 60
1047 Brussels
Excellency Mr. President,
The Social Party PS IMBERAKURI welcomes resolution No.2013/264 (RSP) the European Parliament adopted on 23 May 2013 outlining its concerns in regard to “respect for human rights and the right to have a fair trial in Rwanda”.
Referring to the trial of Madame Victoire INGABIRE, President of FDU Inkingi, the European Parliament details the irregularities which tainted the trial and shows with detailed evidences the struggle facing political opposition figures, journalists and activists of the human rights that are prosecuted of “ideology of genocide and revisionism” to silence them.
You know indeed that in compliance with the laws in force in Rwanda, the party PS IMBERAKURI has been officially registered on July 08, 2009 becoming the first opposition political party registered in Rwanda. However, while Me Bernard NTAGANDA, founder and president of party was attempting to build a strong opposition inside the country, the ruling party, Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) put everything in its power to prevent PS IMBERAKURI from operating normally and destroy it, either through some of its members, either through the institutions of the State, in this case the security organs and the Senate. After the failure of several attempts to neutralize his party, the RPF imprisoned Me Bernard NTAGANDA on June 24, 2010, the first day of filing of candidacy for the presidential elections of August 9th, 2010.
Excellency Mr. President,
The Social Party PS IMBERAKURI welcomed with great satisfaction the resolution, because the fact that your institution recognized all irregularities that we have ceased to denounce is unwavering support in our daily struggle.
Within this framework, the party PS IMBERAKURI takes advantage of the output of this resolution to remind other situations that deserve the attention of the international community:
The right to health care becomes a rare commodity in Rwanda. Access to health care is a problem across the country while the government officials continue to claim the merits of health mutual insurance. Many women with difficult pregnancies pay the heaviest burden. They are at best held hostage in the hospital or die for lack of care and, because they are not able to pay the premium the mutual health insurance. For example, one can cite :
Excellency Mr. President, we welcome the European Parliament decision to recall the Rwanda government about its obligations towards its population especially in term of human rights that can be achieved first of all by unconditionally releasing all political prisoners and by opening the political space so all citizens can lay the foundations of a sustainable democracy in Rwanda.
Best Regards;
Jean-Baptiste RYUMUGABE
Representative of the Social Party PS IMBERAKURI in EUROPE
C.C :
– Excellency Ban Ki-Moon
Secretary General
Plaza, P. O. Box 20
New York, NY 10017, USA
– Excellency Navanethem PILLAY
High Commissioner of the United Nations Human Rights
Palais Wilson
52 rue des Pâquis