President Paul Kagame strongly urged to free KHI lecturer Dr Laurent Ruboneza

Rwanda's Military Tribunal judges are generally former Rwandese Patriotic Army members. A big number of them are suspected of crimes against humanity and war crimes both in Rwanda and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

By Joseph Matata
CLIIR Coordinator

(BRUSSELS, 22 December 2008).- Kigali Health Institute Lecturer and CHK Stomatologist Dr Laurent Ruboneza was charged of endangering the security of the State by a military tribunal in Nyamirambo (Kigali City) after three weeks of illegal and arbitrary detention in Mulindi military detention facility, Brussels based “Centre de Lutte contre l’Injustice et l’Impunité” (known by its French acronym CLIIR) coordinator Joseph Matata says in a press release.

Dr L. Ruboneza left his home in Nyakabanda, Nyarugenge District, Kigali City on November 16, 2008 early in the morning to meet someone after a short phone conversation with an unknown correspondent and never came back home, CLIIR says citing Ruboneza’s wife.

After weeks of worries and vain searches in Kigali Police stations, Ruboneza’s wife, a Cell executive secretary in Gikondo (also in Kigali City) finally got information on December 6, 2008 that her husband was believed to be detained in Mulindi Military Detention Facility near Kanombe International Airport, Joseph Matata details.

Dr L. Ruboneza appeared for the very first time since arrest before military juges on 11 December 2008, three weeks after his illegal arrest, CLIIR adds. The Lecturer’s lawyers, who never got any time to read the charges and prepare their client’s defense, pleaded successfully a postponement of the hast trial, CLIIR further reports.

In a "closed doors" deliberation on 16 December 2008, military judges eventually decided to maintain L. Ruboneza in preventive detention for 30 more days, on the concocted charge of “endangering the security of the State”, CLIIR press release recounts. That charge is generally linked to politically motivated harassment by RPF government security organs.

According to CLIIR standards, Dr L. Ruboneza is an additional political prisoner on its list of political prisoners. CLIIR list was released in its February 2008 Memorandum on Political Prisoners in Rwanda. The list includes eight names.

Among them is former 2003 Independent Presidential Candidate Dr Théoneste NIYITEGEKA. He is detained in Gitarama Prison on genocide concocted charges. He was sentenced to a 15 year jail term on 8 February 2008 by Gihuma GACACA Appeal Court, Muhanga District, former Gitarama prefecture, about 50 km from Kigali City.

His problems started after an interview he gave to the "Voice of America" Kinyarwanda program on the 5th and 6th of June 2005 in which he frankly expressed his criticism about GACACA jurisdictions and their judges wrongdoings, CLIIR coordinator further explains. The following days his car was burned to ashes by unknown individuals. He was summoned and questionned by Police on his statements in that interview. That combination of acts of intimidation forced him to flee the country to neigboring Uganda between 12 June and 3 July 2005. According to Joseph Matata, both CLIIR and Human Rights Watch believe that his arrest and subsequent conviction, although he was cleared of that charge in first instance, are politically motivated.

Also mentionned on CLIIR list is Prof. RUNYINYA BARABWIRIZA. He is detained since 8 September 1994 on genocide related charges but has never appeared before any judge for 14 years. CLIIR documented that Prof BARABWIRIZA was out of Rwanda from 4 April to 5 July 1994 adding that he came back to Kigali from Cyangugu, South West of Rwanda with a UNAMIR convoy on 6 September 1994, only 48 hours before his concocted arrest.

Others are Charles NTAKIRUTINKA, former minister of public works and co-founder of former President Pasteur Bizimungu's PDR-Ubuyanja, a prohibited opposition political party they planned to launch in 2002, Lt Col Cyriaque HABYARABATUMA, RDF and ex-FAR senior officer detained since 2004, François SEZIRAHIGA, former Head of Protocol in the 1970's, Veterinary Doctor Ambroise CYUBAHIRO, former Researcher in ISAR Songa, former Butare prefecture and son of former Bourgmestre Benoît NKERAMIHIGO (a reknown local leader of MDR opposition party banned in 2003, few weeks before elections began), Eugène NGABWA son of former SHYANDA Bourgmestre (Mayor) Antoine BAJYAGAHE and, last but not least, Father Joseph NDAGIJIMANA in detention since 1995 on genocide fabricated charges.

CLIIR reminds that several others Rwandans are still languishing behind bars on genocide concocted charges, a tool in the hands of the Rwandan Patriotic Front government daily and broadly used to silence opposition inside the tiny central African country.