Rwanda : The postponement of the verdict in the trial of Victoire Ingabire is a diversionary tactic
October 29, 2013
We learned without too many surprises that the Rwandan judicial authorities have decided not to make the long-awaited verdict in the trial of the FDU , Ms. Victoire Ingabire and her four co- accused.
This maneuver to continue to maintain an innocent in prison is unacceptable. Indeed, Ms. Victoire Ingabire just spent three years and two weeks in Kigali central prison solely because she dared to demand the opening of political space , space until now padlocked by the RPF regime who does not want any political party that he is not beholden to operate freely. Only political allegiance with the RPF can aspire to the status of a political party , the others are either prohibited or persecuted or undergoing division orchestrated by the regime.
Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza , returned from exile over 16 years in the Netherlands to register FDU- INKINGI Rwanda and participate in the presidential election of August 2010. Upon arrival in Rwanda , she was treated as an “enemy” of the country, she was persecuted by both the authorities and the media close to the regime , before the security services, the police and the courts get involved for him manufacture crimes , which, as the trial revealed their highly political .
At the end of the trial before the High Court in Kigali , in which case the rights of the accused and his counsel were violated in broad daylight, she was sentenced to eight years in prison , against which she appealed to the Supreme Court. The prosecution had also appealed the decision and that relating to the co- accused of Ingabire .
The Supreme Court had also announced the lawyers Ingabire , if for one reason or another, the verdict had to be postponed, the parties would be notified at least one week before the date set for the verdict was read . We note that the report of this reading comes just three days after the date previously announced .
FDU- INKINGI condemn this procrastination of the Rwandan regime and deplore the contempt of court against the person imprisoned and his council should be organized to be present at the verdict .
FDU- INKINGI note with regret that the Rwandan regime is trying to save time when all the people and non-governmental organizations attended the trial finding that the crimes Ingabire is accused are unfounded. Most prosecution witnesses have recanted or contradicted , which in a normal judicial system , should have led to the dismissal of the charges and the immediate relaxation of the accused.
FDU- INKINGI are dismayed by reports that the co -accused Ingabire had been released on the sly even before knowing the verdict on the main accused , against which these co -defendants testified before retracting for most .
It is time to do justice to the FDU -Inkingi and the Rwandan regime ‘s interest to release an innocent and accept the opening of political space , the only way of development and a sustainable progress that our people much needed .
FDU- INKINGI demand the immediate release of their president , their Secretary General Sylvain Sibomana , all other members of the UDF as well as all political opponents who are in prison with no crime was actually their due .
Done at Paris , October 29
Dr. Emmanuel Mwiseneza
Commissioner for Information and Communication
http://www.fdu-rwanda.com/fr/