PRESS RELEASE
The political trial of 9 FDU-Inkingi political prisoners resumed today
20th of March 2019, still grieving over the murder in cold blood of
their former colleague, Anselme Mutuyimana whose body was found in
Gishwati forest less than 24 hours after his arrest by people in police
uniform, and in the absence of their co accused Boniface Twagirimana,
1st Vice President of FDU-Inkingi, who is feared dead after a
mysterious disappearance from Mpanga maximum security prison. The
murders seem to be annual ritual killings. Illuminee Iragena was
kidnapped in March 2016, Jean Damascene Habarugira in May 2018 and
Anselme in 2019. This completes the circle that key leaders of the
FDU-Inkingi are either in prison, forcedly disappeared or are dead.
As usual the prisoners had their legs chained and in handcuffs. They
were told to jump out of the pickup as their family members including
their children were looking on in anguish. What sadism!!
The bright side of the day is that members of FDU-Inkingi from the
southern province turned up in large numbers in defiance of tactics of
intimidation and life threats. Something that has confounded security
agents sending them back to the drawing board.
They are prosecuted before the Rwandan courts, based on article 200 of
the Rwandan penal code i.e. formation of an irregular army or being part
of it, and under article 203 of the penal code i.e. conspiracy against
the established power or the President of the Republic.
Today’s hearing focused on preliminary objections from the defence:
1. In terrorism charges, it is the state attorney general who gives
clearance to indict, as per the Rwandan criminal code. Yet, in this
case, it is the national prosecutor who did it.
2. The indictment solely relies on the guilty plea of a one called
Janvier Twagirayezu, who was arrested along FDU members purporting to be himself FDU member. He was mysteriously released upon the very first
hearing. He confessed himself being RPF member, not FDU member.
3. According to available evidence, the prosecution wiretapping request
was made on 31 May 2017. Twagirayezu meet for the first time the FDU
accused members on 15 August 2017, almost 3 months later. How did the
prosecution know, 71 days earlier, that Janvier Twagirayezu would meet
FDU members?
It is clear that he is an operative of the police whose evidence has to
be rejected out rightly, for lack of integrity.
FDU takes this opportunity to complain about unrest in harassing FDU
members in Nyanza prison. Yesterday evening, at around 2 pm, prison
warders came to look for Fabien Twagirayezu. They purported that it was
for routine administrative duties. Owing to the prevailing suspicion,
after the murder of fellow Anselme Mutuyimana, by people in police
uniform, FDU members resisted the move to take Fabien Twagirayezu out of cell, for fear of meeting the same fate as late Anselme.
FDU leadership does not have any problem with prison services conducting
their business unhampered, but RCS should bear in mind that FDU
prisoners ought to be treated like any other prisoner. If they have any
query with them, they should reach to them during working hours.
The FDU-Inkingi calls on the international community to act without fear
or favour and
1. ask the Rwandan government to release immediately the 9 FDU-Inkingi
political prisoners on bond, as provided for in the national penal code;
2. End impunity by bringing the Rwandan regime to account also for the
lives of Rwandan (including late Habarugira and Anselme) and Congolese
people that died through direct killing or obstructing the delivery of
life saving services. They should be no more room of double standard
justice.
Done in Rouen March 20, 2019
Theophile Mpozembizi
FDU-Inkingi Commissioner for Communications
[email protected]; [email protected]