Rwandan court locks Kagame critic out of July presidential polls

Ingabire cannot appeal the court's decision for at least two years when she will she will next qualify to seek rehabilitation.

KIGALI | Rwandan Opposition figure and government critic Victoire Ingabire has expressed "profound disappointment" after the High Court in Kigali Wednesday denied her plea for a successful rehabilitation.

Ingabire was seeking to have her presidential clemency conditions reviewed so that her civic rights are restored to be able to vie for the presidency in the July 15 polls.

The 55-year-old opponent, who cannot appeal this decision for two years, was stripped of her rights after her conviction in 2013 to 15 years in prison for “conspiracy against the authorities through terrorism and war” and “minimising the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi”.

In a ruling, the court said Ingabire - who spent eight years in prison for terrorism and genocide denial crimes before receiving a presidential pardon in 2018 - had not renounced her genocide denial attitude.

In a statement, Ingabire said the verdict comes at a critical moment as Rwanda prepares for the legislative and presidential elections.

"I hoped to participate as a candidate, advocating for change and democracy," said Ingabire, whose new political party, the Development and Liberty For All (DALFA-Umurinzi), will remain in limbo for as long as her civic rights are curtailed.

She said the court's decision is a "missed opportunity" for Rwanda to take meaningful strides toward establishing a genuine democracy.

Ingabire said the verdict sends the entire Rwandan people's capacity to explore diverse political perspectives to the gallows.

Ingabire was accused of minimising genocide after publicly questioning the government narrative of the events in 1994 in which more than a million people were slaughtered.

She argues that in the 100-day pogrom, some moderate Hutu were also targeted and that they should be remembered as well.

Ingabire has never vied for Rwandan presidency. She was arrested months into her return to Rwanda from exile in the Netherlands in 2010.

"The refusal of my rehabilitation is not merely a personal setback but is emblematic of the broader issues facing our nation, issues that human rights organisations and development partners of Rwanda have long criticised," Ingabire said.

The Rwandan court decision will leave Ingabire and other opposition members reliving Kwame Nkrumah's 1963 seminal work, "Africa Must Unite".

The Ghanaian pan-Africanist famously said freedom is not a commodity given to the enslaved upon demand.

"It is a precious reward, the shining trophy of struggle and sacrifice," Nkrumah said.

For Ingabire, this will ring louder as she is aware that the path towards change is often fraught with obstacles, but said "it is through perseverance and collective effort that we can aspire to a more just and democratic society."

She has in the past told this reporter that Kagame has a chance to end Rwanda’s history of strongmen who cling to power by organising free and fair transition instead.

“This is the only way to safeguard the achievement that he has brought about in Rwanda during his presidency,” she said back then.

Kagame has been president of Rwanda for 24 years and has been the de-facto ruler of the country since 1994. He has changed the constitution twice to extend his rule.

In the July 15 polls, Kagame is widely expected to return to office for a fourth term.

Kagame's only known challenger in the July polls is Green Party leader Frank Habineza, who secured 0.45 percent of the vote in 2017.

All other opposition parties back the ruling Rwanda Patriotic Front.

Ingabire said today's decision is a stark reminder of the barriers to political participation and the urgent need for reform in the central African country's governance.

However, she maintains that her resolve remains unshaken.

"I am committed to continuing the struggle for the establishment of genuine democracy in Rwanda, advocating for respect for human rights and the rule of law," she said.