The Rwandan authorities’ handling of Ms Ingabire’s case is yet another example of their disregard for national and international law. This should raise concerns, particularly among States and commercial entities from around the world engaged, or intending to engage, in partnerships with the Rwandan government.
The Rwandan judiciary has provided ample evidence confirming that Ms Ingabire, an opposition leader arrested and detained by the Rwandan authorities in June 2025, will never receive a fair trial.
- The judges in the trial of nine persons associated with Ms Ingabire’s party instructed the prosecutor to investigate her. These nine accused are accused of discussing a book about non-violent resistance and attending online training on such techniques. Their case has been reviewed by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, which has found that they are detained in violation of international human rights law.
- By their instructions, the judges left no room for doubt that they expected the prosecutor to charge and indict Ms Ingabire.
- The Rwanda Investigation Bureau arrested Ms Ingabire on 19 June 2025, the same day the judges instructed to prosecutor to investigate her. Since then, she has not been permitted to speak with her family or her international legal team. This is a breach of the Mandela Rules which set out minimum standards for the treatment of prisoners.
- Ms Ingabire has been denied the right to legal counsel of her choice, as the Rwanda Bar Association (RBA) rejected the application from a Kenyan lawyer to defend her, on the grounds of reciprocity. However, the RBA’s own rules and regulations state that lawyers from the East African Community are exempt from such a requirement. This decision also violates the Protocol of the East African Common Market.
- Despite the pending constitutional challenge in the Supreme Court against Ms Ingabire’s prosecution and detention, the lower court did not adjourn the proceedings against her, as stipulated by Rwandan law on court jurisdiction.
- The same court ruled in favour of Ms Ingabire’s continued detention even when the prosecution had failed to submit an indictment within the timeframe ordered by the court.
- She is currently being held apart from the general prison population. She shares a cell with one other female who is a convicted murderer. It is both irregular and dangerous to hold an unconvicted person in pre-trial detention with a prisoner convicted of an offence of serious violence, especially given Ms Ingabire’s status as a political figure who has previously received death threats.
- Unlike the other detainees, Ms Ingabire is not permitted to have a radio or television, nor is she allowed to attend Sunday church services. Despite having prescriptions issued by a doctor, the prison management has refused to provide her with the medication she needs.
- The recent decision of the Rwandan judiciary to assign the very same judges who ordered the prosecution to investigate (and effectively charge) Ms Ingabire to hear the case against her represents definitive proof that she will never receive a fair trial.
Against this background, the Fondation Victoire pour la Paix calls on States and commercial entities from around the world engaged, or intending to engage, in partnerships with the Rwandan government to denounce Rwanda and hold its leadership accountable for disregarding universal values, failing to respect human rights, and breaching international laws and conventions. This is important because relations based solely on transactions, without consideration for fundamental universal values, limit diplomatic cooperation, undermine corporate social responsibility, and damage reputations in the short and long term.
Brussels, October 10th 2025.