The Liberal International Human Rights Committee and RENEW PAC co-chairs – Minister Sidi Touré (Côte d’Ivoire) and MEP Jan‑Christoph Oetjen (Germany) – condemn the arrest of Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza, the 2024 Liberal International Prize for Freedom laureate, who has already been imprisoned before by President Kagame. They also condemn the politically motivated trial of nine individuals in Kigali for “spreading false information” — a charge illustrating Rwanda’s systematic misuse of vague legal provisions to silence opposition voices.

Supported by the findings of the United Nations Human Rights Council Working Group on Arbitrary Detention we are clear that this tactic is grounded in political intimidation. The Rwandan government’s latest assault on liberty, which has seen nine opposition figures detained for sharing a book promoting non-violent political change, builds on the oppression dissenting voices in Rwanda are facing.

Building on the RENEW PAC outcome document adopted in February 2025, which calls for judicial independence, opposition safeguards, and the abolition of laws suppressing political expression, we demand the immediate release of all individuals prosecuted under “false information” charges. We also urge Rwanda to amend its penal code and cybercrime legislation to remove these repressive clauses and ensure a judiciary that operates independently. The ongoing persecution of Ms. Ingabire—a figure internationally recognized for her courage and commitment to free speech—further highlights the regime’s authoritarian drift and should alarm democratic governments in Africa, Europe, and beyond. We call upon the Rwandan authorities to honour their regional and global commitments to democratic norms, restore political pluralism, and grant full legal and civic rights to all opposition leaders, journalists, and activists.