Add Your Voice to Help Rwandan Journalist/Rwandan Journalist Charged With Defaming President, Espousing Genocide

JULY 13, 2010
Rwandan Journalist Charged With Defaming President, Espousing Genocide


Add Your Voice to Help Rwandan Journalist

The IWMF is speaking out on behalf of Agnes Uwimana, the editor of Umurabyo, a private newspaper in Rwanda. Uwimana was arrested July 9 and chaged with defaming the president and espousing genocide. She faces up to 50 years in prison if convicted.
Umurabyo is the third private newspaper in Rwanda to face legal trouble before the elections. The government recently shut down two other leading independent newspapers, Umuseso and Umugizi.
"In arresting Agnes Uwimana, the government of Rwanda is invoking the legacy of genocide and national security to silence independent voices in the media," said IWMF co-chair Barbara Cochran.
Washington, D.C. -- The International Women’s Media Foundation today condemned the arrest on July 9 of Agnes Uwimana, the editor of Umurabyo, a private newspaper in Rwanda, on charges of defaming the president and espousing genocide.
In recent months the government of Rwanda has shut down newspapers that raise sensitive topics and are critical of government policies. These topics include reporting on the murder of journalist Jean-Leonard Rugambage, the fallout between President Paul Kagame and exiled military leaders and reports of lavish government spending.
“In arresting Agnes Uwimana, the government of Rwanda is invoking the legacy of genocide and national security to silence independent voices in the media, “ said IWMF co-chair Barbara Cochran. “We call on the government to release Ms. Uwimana immediately.”
“The timing of Agnes Uwimana’s arrest calls into question the government’s motivation,” said Campbell Brown, IWMF co-chair. “Silencing an independent media voice one month before a presidential election smacks of an attempt to control the media.”
Umurabyo is the third private newspaper in Rwanda to face legal trouble before the elections. The government recently shut down two other leading independent newspapers, Umuseso and Umugizi.
Uwimana faces up to 50 years in prison if convicted. This would be her second conviction. In 2007-2008, she served a one-year sentence on charges of ethnic division and libel after she published a column with the headline You Have Problems if You Kill a Tutsi, But You go Free if You Kill a Hutu. At that time, she acknowledged that the article might have upset some people, promised to print a correction and requested clemency from the courts.
Courtesy :IWMF