Rwanda: Editor of independent newspaper detained for over one month
Reporters sans frontières (RSF) says the detention of Ismael Mbonigaba, editor of the newspaper "Umuseso", who has been imprisoned for the past month for allegedly "inciting people to be divisive and practice discrimination" was simply an excuse for the government to crack down on independent media and the opposition.
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IFEX - News from the international freedom of expression community
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ALERT - RWANDA
25 February 2003
Editor of independent newspaper detained for over one month
SOURCE: Reporters sans frontières (RSF), Paris
(RSF/IFEX) - On 25 February 2003, RSF protested the detention of Ismael
Mbonigaba, editor of the newspaper "Umuseso", who has been imprisoned for
the past month for allegedly "inciting people to be divisive and practice
discrimination".
The organisation said the editor's detention was simply an excuse for the
government to crack down on independent media and the opposition. Calling on
the authorities to free him at once, RSF noted that the May 2002 press law
banned the preventive detention of journalists except for specific reasons,
which did not include "incitement to be divisive".
Mbonigaba was arrested on 22 January and was sent to Kigali's central prison
two days later, under the anti-discrimination law of 18 December 2002. A
decision on his fate is expected on 27 February. He faces several years'
imprisonment.
The editor was picked up after his paper reported on 13 January that former
prime minister Faustin Twagiramungu would stand against President Paul
Kagame in the next presidential election.
The article was accompanied by a caricature of Kagame, represented as King
Solomon, holding the hand of a baby representing the Democratic Republican
Movement (MDR, a political party that is part of the government coalition)
and a sword in his other hand. Two other people were shown pestering him
about how to handle the MDR. The caricature suggested Kagame is the arbiter
of the party's divisions and that he alone could decide its future.
Mbonigaba has previously been targeted by the authorities several times. In
May, he was arrested after criticising a speech in which Kagame referred to
Rwandans as "idiots." His passport was seized, preventing him from attending
a conference in neighbouring Burundi.
For further information, contact Jean-François Julliard at RSF, rue Geoffroy
Marie, Paris 75009, France, tel: +33 1 44 83 84 84, fax: +33 1 45 23 11 51,
e-mail: [email protected], Internet: http://www.rsf.org
The information contained in this alert is the sole responsibility of RSF.
In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit RSF.
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