19 Mar 10 | Index Index, minipost, Uncategorized
The Rwandan director of Human Rights Watch faces deportation from the central African state after her work permit was revoked. Immigration officials claim to have found “anomalies” in Carina Tertsakian’s accreditation documents at a time when relations between president Paul Kagame and the New York-based organisation are strained. Innocent Niyonsenga, communications manager at the Immigration Department, explained that Tertsakian must secure a new visa or measures would be taken to remove her from Rwanda. Human Rights Watch claimed in February that opposition activists are facing increasing threats and harassment ahead of Rwanda’s presidential election in August. President Paul Kagame denied this accusation on Tuesday (16 March) saying that he had a problem with the human rights community commenting on issues from outside the country.
15 Mar 10 | Index Index, minipost, Uncategorized
A prominent independent Rwandan reporter is missing amid concerns that security forces are cracking down on dissenters. The Ugandan news agency 256news.com has expressed concern that its correspondent Godwin Agaba has been arrested or disappeared on president Paul Kagame’s orders. The Rwandan police have denied that he is being held. However, Kagame said earlier this month that he had information on journalists working with those opposed to him.
02 Mar 10 | Index Index, minipost, Uncategorized
Three Rwandan journalists have been found guilty of defaming two government ministers, in a move that has described by the Committee to Protect Journalists as an effort to silence critical journalism in the country. Former editor Charles Kabonero, acting editor-in-chief Didas Gasana, and reporter Richard Kayigamba of the private weekly newspaper Umuseso were sentenced to prison terms under Rwanda’s 2009 Media Law for a story highlighting an extramarital affair between the mayor of Kigali, Aisa Kirabo Kacyira, and Cabinet Affairs Minister Protais Musoni. The court did, however, turn down a request from the prosecution for the newspaper to be banned. Umuseso has previously been found guilty of libel after publishing an article about the parliamentary deputy speaker Denis Polisi’s political ambitions in 2004.
10 Aug 09 | Index Index, minipost
The Media High Council (MHC) in Rwanda have called for a three-month suspension to local language tabloid, Umuseso, for allegedly going beyond the boundaries of media rules by allegedly likening the current government to the one that was in power in the run-up to the 1994 genocide. Read more here
