Rwanda: Opposition Politician Shot, Others Detained

Rwanda: Opposition Politician Shot, Others Detained
Authorities Asked to Investigate

(New York, January 9, 2002) Rwandan authorities should immediately
investigate the murder of Gratien Munyarubuga, a founder of the
opposition Democratic Party for Renewal-Ubuyanja, and end harassment of
other opposition and press figures, Human Rights Watch said today.

Since the December 26 killing of Munyarubuga, authorities have
detained and interrogated Pasteur
Bizimungu, former president of
Rwanda and the leading figure of the Ubuyanja party; another member
of Ubuyanja; three persons associated with a faction of the Democratic
Republican Movement (MDR) thought to be opposed to the current
government; and a journalist who reported on these developments.

“The police should put their energies into prosecuting Munyarubuga’s
killers rather than into intimidating people whose ideas they don’t
like,” said Alison Des Forges, Senior Adviser to the Africa Division of
Human Rights Watch.

Munyarubuga, a 66-year-old taxi driver, was shot by two men who had
entered his taxi as passengers. Uniformed members of the Local Defense
Force, an official police agency, reportedly stood by and failed to
apprehend the killers. He was killed in the early afternoon in a wealthy
neighborhood in the capital of Kigali. Munyarubuga had reportedly been
threatened with death by police on December 10 when he visited Bizimungu
at his home and on several subsequent occasions.

Police reportedly arrested Catherine Mujawamariya, also a founder of
Ubuyanja, on December 10. They have also detained others who sought to
visit Bizimungu or have prevented them from seeing him. Both Bizimungu
and party spokesman, Charles Ntakirutinka, have been restricted from
leaving the capital.

Authorities refused to allow Bizimungu to officially establish a new
political party last June, and in late November prevented him from
publishing a brief memoir. Bizimungu and his associates, who were
attacked by street gangs several months ago, were again threatened
recently. Others in opposition to the government, including former
speaker of the National Assembly Joseph Sebarenzi, denounced these
threats. Sebarenzi, now in exile in the United States, called for
protection for Ubuyanja members in a Voice of America broadcast
two days before Munyarubuga was murdered. A group called the Movement
for Peace, Democracy and Development, said to be operating clandestinely
inside Rwanda, detailed harassment of Ubuyanja members in a report
circulated shortly after Munyarubuga’s death.

Authorities have also detained Pierre Gakwandi, recently elected
secretary-general of one faction of the MDR party, and interrogated
other MDR members, including former deputy Leonard Kavutse and a former
ambassador.

From December 31 to January 3 police detained Amiel Nkuliza, journalist
of Le Partisan newspaper, questioning him about his reports of
Munyarubuga’s killing and about the MDR party. When first detained, he
was reportedly forced to telephone friends to reassure them so that they
would not seek to locate him.

“If authorities have reason to suspect all these people have committed
some crime, they should charge them. Otherwise they should allow them
the freedom of opinion and expression guaranteed by Rwandan and
international law,” said Des Forges.

For more information on political violence in Rwanda, please see:

Rwanda: Elections May Speed Genocide Trials (HRW Press Release, October
4, 2001) at http://www.hrw.org/press/2001/10/rwanda1004.htm

No Contest in Rwandan Elections (HRW Press Release, March 9, 2001) at
http://www.hrw.org/press/2001/03/rwanda0309.htm

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