Contrary to all the procedures in force to subpoena suspects to the judiciary police, today October 23, 2013 Mr. ICYITONDERWA Jean Baptiste, Secretary General in charge of mobilization of PS IMBERAKURI party received a phone call from the police station of Remera, ordering him to report to the police and with his former co- accused with whom he had recently been imprisoned then cleared of all offenses. They are Mr. NTAVUKA Martin, representative of FDU INKINGI party in the City of Kigali, and HITIMANA Samuel and NTAKIRUTIMANA Emmanuel, all imprisoned for writing a letter to the Prime Minister asking for his intervention on behalf of students and drivers on the decisions of the government including the prohibition of minibus taxis in the large arteries of the city of Kigali and the elimination of student loans to students in universities and institutions of higher learning.
Upon arrival at the police station, he faced a muscular quizzing by CIP IYAKAREMYE Richard (DJPO GASABO) but Mr. ICYOTENDERWA requested that he will answer to the questions only in the presence of his legal counsel. Immediately the police officer asked where were his former companions in jail adding to the list the names of Mr. BAKUNZIBAKE Alexis , First Vice President of PS IMBERAKURI party and Ms. .IRAKOZE Jenny Flora , Treasurer of FDU INKINGI party for them to explain the crimes of which they are accused. These crimes are participating in an unauthorized demonstration and proclaiming to be members of a banned political party.
What is surprising is that he was asked to explain the offense of participating in an unauthorized demonstration and belonging to a banned political party, which is punishable under articles 685 and 686 of the penal code of Rwanda. One recalls that the suspects were questioned by the police and the prosecutor on the same offenses and were eventually acquitted by the court on September 26, 2013. Also one recalls that Article 6 of the Penal Code states that no one should be prosecuted more than once for the same offense.
The fact that the police took the decision to subpoena the citizens who had been imprisoned and acquitted by the Intermediate Court of Kacyiru on September 26, 2013 on the same charges and by taking care to add to the list of suspects Mr. Alexis BAKUNZIBAKE and Ms. Jenny IRAKOZE Flora , instead of filing an appeal as there was no new offense ,PS Imberakuri and FDU Inkingi parties find that there is a ploy behind this process especially the fact that the high authorities of the country to whom the letter had been sent instead to look at the complaint and respond to interested parties on the questions , rather they said that the authors of the letter were not students, but rather political activists of opposition political parties , ignoring the fact that being a militant of an opposition party don’t prevent anyone to be a student, a cab driver or any Rwandan with the right to ask justice for people unfairly treated .
Also, the fact that the police invented another offense that consist of joining a banned political party confirms that the sole purpose of the Kigali regime is to completely eradicate PS Imberakuri party especially when the police says it’s a banned party .
This also confirms that opposition political parties will not be authorized to operate freely, and according to the punishment provided for the above articles, no one can deny that the Kigali regime wants to do everything possible including making evidence of crimes in order to imprison all militants of the opposition parties.
The political parties, PS Imberakuri and FDU INKINGI, severely protest against this disgraceful attitude of the Kigali regime, and therefore ask it to give back to the Rwandan people its inalienable rights of freedom in the public interest and in the interest of the regime itself as well.
We have no doubt that the wind of change that we have signed for will triumph and no one can ever extinguish the flame of democracy already lit.
Done in Kigali, October 23, 2013
Alexis BAKUNZIBAKE
First Vice-President
PS Imberakuri
Boniface Twagirimana
Interim Vice President
FDU INKINGI
