Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders Annual Report 2003 - Rwanda
| Publisher | International Federation for Human Rights |
| Publication Date | 14 April 2004 |
| Cite as | International Federation for Human Rights, Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders Annual Report 2003 - Rwanda, 14 April 2004, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/48747c70339.html [accessed 17 September 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Campaign to slander LIPRODHOR56
In 2003, the League for the Promotion of Human Rights in Rwanda (Ligue pour la Promotion des Droits de l'Homme au Rwanda – LIPRODHOR), was accused of "divisionism", in other words, working with the Democratic Republican Movement (Mouvement démocratique républicain – MDR), which is a faction of the opposition party said to be "divisive".
These accusations were levied by the parliamentary Commission that was set up at the end of 2002 and tasked to investigate into MDR. When the Commission report was presented in April, LIPRODHOR was accused of receiving money to pay for activities connected to MDR. Although the written report does not explicitly refer to this connection and no legal proceedings have been launched, these accusations are part of a campaign to sully the reputation of LIPRODHOR.
In May, at a meeting organised by a group of women's organisations attended by members of the Parliamentary Commission and representatives of civil society, LIPRODHOR was again pointed at and was accused of "divisive activities".
Last June, the governmental weekly Imvaho Nshya published accusations by the prefect of Cyangugu (southwest Rwanda) in an article entitled "LIPRODHOR sows confusion in Cyangugu". According to this article, the prefect blamed the organisation for its "destructive policy" and for "being better known as a political front rather than as a human rights organisation, bringing ethnic differences to the fore day and night" as well as "propagating a divisive ideology".
AMI activities still suspended57
The activities of the Modest and Innocent Association (Association modeste et Innocent – AMI) were suspended on 20th February 2002 by the Nyabisindu appeal court. The court banned all AMI publications, in particular its newspaper Ubuntu. Since it was suspected of being on good terms with the opposition party Democratic Party for Renewal (Parti Démocratique pour le Renouveau – PDR), AMI was not authorised to resume its activities in 2003.
The appeal court put the chairman of AMI, Mr. Laurien Ntezimana, under house arrest at Butare on 20th February 2002. He has to report to the town authorities every week. Although he has been given some latitude since trips outside of Butare and outside the country have finally been authorised, no official legal decision was taken in 2003 to lift the decision of the court.
[Refworld note: This report as posted on the FIDH website (www.fidh.org) was in pdf format with country chapters run together by region. Footnote numbers have been retained here, so do not necessarily begin at 1.]
56. See FIDH press release of 4th June 2003.
57. See Annual Report 2002.