KIGALI, Rwanda (AP) — Victoire Ingabire, a prominent Rwandan opposition leader, was arrested Thursday in Kigali over allegations that she assisted in a plot to incite public unrest. The Rwanda Investigations Bureau (RIB) accuses her of involvement in a criminal network linked to a group of nine individuals charged with attempting to overthrow the government of President Paul Kagame.
Among the suspects is journalist Theoneste Nsengimana and several members of DALFA-Umurinzi, a political party led by Ingabire that is not officially recognized by the Rwandan government.
Authorities allege that Ingabire maintained communication with the group and played a role in coordinating their activities. She was questioned by prosecutors in court Thursday and remains in detention.
Ingabire’s international legal team condemned the arrest as “baseless and politically motivated,” stating that it is part of a broader pattern of harassment and intimidation by the Rwandan government.
Ingabire returned to Rwanda in 2010 after 16 years in exile in the Netherlands, seeking to challenge Kagame politically. She was imprisoned before the 2010 presidential elections, convicted of conspiracy and genocide denial — charges she has always denied. Sentenced to 15 years, she was released in 2018 after receiving a presidential pardon.
President Kagame has publicly warned that Ingabire could be sent back to prison. In 2020, he said she “should not be shocked” if that happened.
Her lawyers maintain that she has committed no crime and call her arrest part of a political crackdown on dissent in Rwanda.
