Rwanda opposition leader barred from leaving the country

A top Rwandan opposition leader has not given permission to leave the country in order to pick up a human rights award.

Victoire Ingabire wanted to travel to Madrid in Spain to collect the award but she told the BBC that she reached out to the minister of justice for permission to travel and got no response. The ministry has not commented.

She has to seek permission to travel out of Rwanda after she was pardoned among 2,400 other convicts by President Paul Kagame in September 2018.

The FDU-Inkingi was awarded the International Human Rights Award 2019 by Apdhe, a Spanish human rights association.

Ms Ingabire’s three children had to receive the award on her behalf on Thursday evening, as pictured here with other winners:

Nuestro presidente, Carlos Castresana, junto con los premiados agradeciendo otro año más la afluencia y la alegría de los defensores de #DDHH @pascual_serrano #VictoireIngabire #NoraCortiñas #JorgedelCura pic.twitter.com/KUv4pCmuyG

— APDHE (@apdhe) December 5, 2019

Ms Ingabire addressed the awards ceremony through a video live stream instead.

She said her country does not respect human rights.

“Rwanda is far from respecting the human rights, like freedom of expression and of political affiliation. For this, the opposition pays the price. We have people who were killed, those who are abducted and those imprisoned for their rights. Being not there to collect the prize is a proof of what I am saying.”

Source: bbc.com