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Rwanda Arrests Opposition Leader Ingabire, Drawing International Criticism
Kigali, Rwanda – Victoire Ingabire, A Prominent Rwandan opposition leader, was rearrested on June 19, 2025, triggering immediate condemnation from Human Rights Watch and raising concerns about the suppression of political dissent in Rwanda.
Ingabire’s Arrest Is Part Of What Rights Groups Say Is An Ongoing Effort To Silence Voices Critical Of The Government.
Details Of Ingabire’s Arrest
Ingabire Was Taken Into Custody At Her Residence In Kigali. The Rwanda Investigation Bureau (Rib) Announced Via Social Media That The Arrest Was Prompted By A Request From The Public Prosecutor’s Office. The Request Is Linked To The Ongoing Trial Of Her Party members.
She Faces Charges Related To Forming A Criminal Group And Allegedly Planning Activities Aimed At Inciting Public Disorder,Accusations Her Supporters Dismiss As Politically Motivated.
Human Rights Watch Condemns The Arrest
Lewis Mudge, Central Africa Director At Human Rights Watch, Stated That Ingabire’s Arrest Exemplifies The Risks Faced By Political Opposition Figures In Rwanda. He Emphasized That Seeking Political Office Outside The Ruling Party Could lead To Imprisonment.
“Ingabire’s Arrest And This Trial Are Only the Most Recent Example Of The Dangers Of political Opposition In Rwanda,” Mudge Said.
Ingabire’s Troubled History
This Is Not The First Time Ingabire Has Faced Legal Trouble. She Previously spent Nearly Eight Years In Prison, From 2010 To 2018, Following What Many Observers Deemed A Politically Motivated Trial.
In 2012,She was Sentenced To 15 Years For Conspiracy And Denying The 1994 Genocide,Charges Stemming From Her Attempt To Run In The 2010 Presidential Elections. even though Pardoned And Released In September 2018, Her Political Ambitions Have Continued To Be Thwarted.
In March 2024,A Kigali Court Rejected Her Request To Remove Her Criminal Record,Preventing Her From Participating In The July 2024 Presidential Election,Which President Paul Kagame Won With Over 99 Percent Of The Vote.
Background On Ingabire’s Political Activities
Ingabire Formerly Led the Unregistered Opposition Party, United Democratic Forces (Fdu-Inkingi). In November 2019, She Established Another party, Development And Liberty For All (Dalfa-Umurinzi). Rwandan Authorities Have Consistently Denied Registration To Her Party And Prevented Its Participation In Elections.
Members Of Her Parties Have Faced Imprisonment, Harassment, And Suspicious Deaths Or Disappearances since 2017.
Ongoing Trial Of Party Members
Several dalfa-Umurinzi members Were Arrested In October 2021, Including Sylvain Sibomana. These Individuals Have Been Detained Since Then, With Their Trial Commencing Only In Late 2024. Sibomana Himself Had Previously Spent Nearly Eight Years In Custody.
