Rwanda: Rwanda rejects HRW allegations of unlawful detention, torture

11 Octobre 2017

Kigali, Rwanda,  October 11 (Infosplusgabon) -  Rwanda’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Johnston Busingye,  on Wednesday strongly rejected a new report by Human Rights Watch (HRW), saying it has painted a controversial bleak picture of human rights situation in the country.

The 91-page ‘We Will Force You to Confess’: Torture and Unlawful Military Detention in Rwanda' report claimed that there were cases of 104 people who were illegally detained, and in many cases tortured or ill-treated, in Rwandan military detention centres between 2010 and 2016.

In addition, the report alleged that many of the detainees, including civilians and former FDLR combatants, were arrested in Rwanda by Rwandan soldiers, sometimes assisted by police, intelligence, or local government officials.

In reaction, Busingye said there was no truth in the Human Right Watch report for which allegations were described as old, discredited, baseless and with no credible evidence.

"Rwanda is party to, and observes the UN Convention against Torture as well as domestic laws," Busingye said in a statement made available to  Infosplusgabon  in Kigali.

"The report is rather a continuation of entrenched, vindictive agenda against Rwanda," Busingye insisted,  adding that the truth about Human Rights Watch would, in time, be exposed.

FIN/INFOSPLUSGABON/LKJ/GABON 2017

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