Kigali 5th September 2017
We are pleased to let you know that Diane and members of her family are still alive.
We were extremely worried about what might have happened to them due to previous cases in which Police arrested government critics, denied it, resulting in their disappearance and in few cases, in their death, as documented by different organisations including Human right watch.
In unprecedented move, yesterday evening, the Rwandan Police staged a forced entry at the Rwigara’s family residence and claimed that Diane and members of her family had refused to report to the police when summoned to.
This is a total deceitful way used to coverup an illegal detention that the family had been subject to since Tuesday the 29th August 2017.
It was unusual for the Rwandan Police to take pictures and video of their arresting operation. It was clearly an attempt to legitimise their fake arrest of the Rwigara family held illegally at their home. In one of the police video, Rwigara Diane accused the police to have confined them to their place illegally and took all their money away.
In fact, on Tuesday the 29th August 2017, Adeline, Diane, Anne, Arioste and Aristote Rwigara were taken by unidentified security services personnel from their residence and spend more than 15 hours being questioned without access to a lawyer.
Before being taken away, their house was searched and all their mobile phones, computers, laptops and money were confiscated. Since then, the police decided to detain them inside their house incommunicado.
On Wednesday 30th August 2017, they were taken early morning for questioning at undisclosed location, once again without any access to a lawyer.
We still don’t know whether they spent all past 6 nights closed at home or at detention location and brought back incognito home on daily basis.
We know that they were prevented to have any communication with anyone outside including members of their family and close friends.
Yesterday evening, the police staged arrest at Rwigara residence came as result of important national and international pressure on the government of Rwanda to explain what has happened to them.
We are therefore extremely grateful to all those who contributed (at diplomatic, including behind the scene; and social media campaign #GreenMonday #FreeRwigaras #100Tweets2Kagame) in putting pressure to Kagame regime to order come clean about whereabout of Rwigara family.
Without your actions, we wouldn’t have known if they were still alive or not. Your actions might have saved their lives.
Our campaign we will not stop until this illegal and oppression operation against Rwigara family is ended.
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Raymond Kayitare
In charge of communication (PSM – ITABAZA)
@ShimaRwigara www.facebook.com/ShimaRwigara Contact@dianerwigara.com
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Aristide Rwigara
Rwigara family member
@AristideRwigara