MR SIBOMANA SYLVAIN, SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE FDU-INKINGI, LIKE OTHER VULNERABLE PRISONERS, IS AT SIGNIFICANT RISK OF RENEWED ABUSE AFTER FIRE BROKE OUT AT KIMIRONKO PRISON. 

PRESS RELEASE

We have just learnt from well-informed sources that political prisoner Mr. Sibomana Sylvain, Secretary General of the FDU-Inkingi, has just been taken from his place of detention and taken to a solitary confinement room, nicknamed called ” Ibagiro” in Kinyarwanda, meaning butchery in English, where torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment are meted on prisoners. There is a high risk of further mistreatment and torture.

FDU-Inkingi have been alerted following the deterioration of conditions in Kimironko Prison since fire broke out in the prison on April 1, 2017. There is no information filtering about the origin of this fire that was followed by many gun shots. However, some sources which have not yet been confirmed, have suggested that it could be a manipulation engineered by Rwandan intelligence services to get rid of political opponents detained at the prison and short of getting them out of the way get an opportunity to mistreat them.

This morning people noticed stones being thrown from inside the prison, flying in all directions. At the end of the morning of April 3, 2017, people saw Mr. Sibomana Sylvain in handcuffs being led out of his place of detention. We are therefore deeply concerned about possible ill-treatment.

FDU-Inkingi, have very strong suspicions regarding the origin of the various fires breaking out in different prisons and therefore call for independent enquiry to establish the causes of these fires.  They call on the government to ensure that personal safety and physical integrity of the prisoners at this prison are safeguarded and that neutral observers be allowed to follow up what is happening in Rwandan prisons today.

The FDU-Inkingi are calling on human rights organizations and the Red Cross to do their utmost to monitor the conditions of detention in this prison.

 

Done in London April 3, 2017

Justin Bahunga

Commissioner for External Relations and spokesperson of FDU-Inkingi

[email protected]

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