KIGALI, Rwanda — Members of Rwanda’s security forces are arresting beggars, street children, sex workers and other “undesirables” who are arbitrarily detained in centers described as harsh and inhuman, Human Rights Watch said Thursday.
Its new report raises questions about the central African country that is often praised by the international community for its organized appearance but challenged by rights groups amid concerns over authoritarian actions.
Human Rights Watch said it had received information about several people who died during or just after their detention in a “transit center” in Rubavu in Western Province as a result of injuries from beatings, poor conditions and lack of medical care.
Rwandan police and other security groups round up poor people as part of an unofficial government practice to remove “undesirables” from the streets of the capital, Kigali, and other urban areas, the new report said.
It said some people are held for weeks or even months in what are also called “rehabilitation centers.” FULL STORY