PRESSS RELEASE. The fears of the FDU-Inkingi that repression of its members would intensify even after the RPF victory have been confirmed by the renewed unhuman and degrading treatment of its member Anselme Mutuyimana detained in Mpanga, Nyanza prison.
In our press release done in London on August 11, 2017, FDU-Inkingi complained about the refusal of the prison authorities to transfer to Butare University Hospital of Anselme as recommended the prison medical officer.
We have learnt from reliable sources that not only he has been refused his transfer for proper treatment but that he has been tortured and thrown into a prison cell where he must stay for 30 days.
On the 26th August 2017, a relative who went to see him was not allowed to greet him. He was able to see that his arms were swollen. He came to learn that the swelling of the arms was due to beating and torture and the health officer Mr Nyagatare has refused him to get medical treatment.
The Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners adopted by the First United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders, held at Geneva in 1955, and approved by the Economic and Social Council by its resolutions 663 C (XXIV) of 31 July 1957 and 2076 (LXII) of 13 May 1977 provide that “Sick prisoners who require specialist treatment shall be transferred to specialized institutions”.
Mr Anselme Mutuyimana is serving a six-year sentence for being in a meeting organised by the Secretary General of FDU-Inkingi, Mr Sylvain Sibomana. He was arrested in 2012 and sentenced under article 463 of the penal code for inciting the population to hate the government. The prosecution has argued that during the meeting with FDU-Inkingi Secretary General Sylvain Sibomana who is also serving a six-year sentence under the same alleged offence, both criticised among other things government policy on education, misallocation of medical insurance funds, the huge disparities in salaries and extreme economic disparities between rural and urban areas. This is considered a threat to state security.
We are seriously concerned that the denial of medical attention could be one way of getting rid of him without firing a shot.
We would like to appeal to the Rwandan government to instruct Nyanza prison authorities to stop the unhuman and degrading treatment of Anselme Mutuyimana.
Done in London, August 27, 2017
Justin Bahunga
Commissioner for External Relations and spokesperson
infocomrelext@fdu-rwanda.com