Diane Rwigara (left) and her mother Adeline in the High Court at Kigali
on November 16, 2017. They face charges of forgery, inciting
insurrection and promoting sectarian practises. PHOTO | CYRIL NDEGEYA |
NMG
The High Court in Kigali has dismissed an appeal against denial
of bail by Rwandan government critic and former presidential aspirant
Diane Rwigara.
The judge on Tuesday said that the
prosecution had provided a compelling argument as to why Diane and her
mother Adeline should remain on remand until their trial begins.
In the ruling, the judge, whose name was not provided, said that the crimes the two are accused of are sensitive.
Diane,
35, a vocal critic of President Paul Kagame, is charged with inciting
public insurrection and forging documents, which she has consistently
denied and labelled “politically motivated.”
Her mother is similarly charged with inciting public insurrection and separately with promoting sectarian practices.
Last
week, Diane accused the court of lacking independence to try her case
fairly, arguing that the decisions made at her trial will come directly
from the President's office.
“I know that you are powerless to deliver a fair verdict and to
give me bail. You are trying my case but the real power and decisions
will come from the President’s Office, not from you,” Ms Rwigara told
the three-judge panel.
During the ruling Tuesday, only Diane was in court as her mother was said to have been ill.
Forgery
charges attract five to seven years in jail, while inciting
insurrection attracts 10 to 15 years in jail. Promoting sectarian
practices attracts five to seven years in prison.
No comments :
Post a Comment