Submitted by: Liberal Democrats UK
Liberal International is concerned that the repression of political opposition in Rwanda continues with the arrest of LI Prize for Freedom 2024 recipient Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza on 19th June 2025 and her continued detention since that date.
Furthermore:
that she is detained with only limited access to her legal team and no access to family members
that she was summoned to court ostensibly to give evidence in cases against 9 other individuals held since 2021, despite demands from the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD) for their immediate release on the basis that their detention resulted from exercising their right to freedom of expression, assembly, and participation in public affairs and was therefore illegal.
Recalls that
Mrs Umuhoza was previously imprisoned in 2010 after announcing her intention to contest the presidential election after criticising Rwanda’s post genocide reconciliation policies.
Her appeal to the African Court of Human and People’s Rights was successful and after 8 years of unjust imprisonment she was released in 2018
Contrary to the court judgement her political rights were not restored and she was prevented from leaving Rwanda, even to visit her family
Calls on Liberal International and all member parties
To use all available diplomatic channels to encourage the government of Rwanda into a dialogue with opposition groups to restore full multi-party democracy to ensure respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms;
To petition for the immediate and unconditional release of Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza and other political prisoners in Rwanda;
To recognize that the repression of political opposition in Rwanda disproportionately affects women and LGBT+ leaders, human rights defenders, and those advocating for gender equality;
To affirm that the empowerment of women and the promotion of gender equality are essential to genuine democracy, reconciliation, and sustainable peace in Rwanda;
To advocate for the equal political participation of women in Rwanda, in line with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and UN Security Council Resolution 1325;
To support the protection of women political leaders and activists from arbitrary arrest, gender-based violence, and political persecution.
