Rwanda opposition leader arrested over terror allegations News
Rwanda opposition leader arrested over terror allegations
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[JURIST] Rwandan police on Thursday arrested opposition leader Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza [campaign website; JURIST news archive], accusing her of being involved in the formation of a terrorist organization. Ingabire was implicated, authorities say, during investigations [AP report] into the activities of a man who was a former commander of a Hutu militia group operating in neighboring Congo. Ingabire was also arrested in April for allegedly denying [JURIST report] the 1994 Rwandan genocide [JURIST news archive] and collaborating with terrorists, although rights groups say that both arrests are the Rwandan government’s attempts to prevent opposition in the country.

In May, Rwandan authorities arrested [JURIST report] US lawyer and JURIST Forum [website] contributor Peter Erlinder [professional profile; JURIST news archive] on charges of genocide denial while he was in Rwanda to prepare his defense of Umuhoza. Erlinder returned to the US [JURIST report] in June after spending 21 days in a Rwandan prison. In March, an aid to Ingabire who had been convicted in absentia, pleaded guilty to genocide charges [JURIST report] in exchange for a reduced prison sentence of 17 years.

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