PRESS RELEASE
Issued on 28 May 2021
CALLING FOR MOBILIZATION TO SUPPORT NTAMUHANGA CASSIEN
- On Monday May 24 2021, we, the Rwandan Alliance for the National Pact (RANP-Abaryankuna, learned that Mr Cassien NTAMUHANGA who is a founding member of our organization, was arrested in Mozambique.
- On May 26, 2021 we learned from our reliable sources that the Government of Rwanda is behind that unlawful arrest of Mr NTAMUHANGA.
Latest news:
- When asked about it, Leonel Muchina, the spokesperson of the Mozambican police in Maputo, told the BBC that he will react to this in writing.
- According to BBC, the Rwanda Investigation Bureau and the Rwandan Embassy in Maputo did not react to their journalist questions.
- This day Friday May 28 2021, the BBC reported that both the Mozambican police spokesperson in Maputo and Rwandan authorities have not yet reacted.
- Our reliable sources have checked with several Mozambican police stations who categorically deny knowing Mr. Cassien NTAMUHANGA. Nevertheless, the persons who witnessed the arrest confirmed that they saw the Mozambican police apprehending Cassien NTAMUHANGA and take him to their premises.
- Another important piece of information is that the Mozambican police arrested Cassien NTAMUHANGA with the intention of extraditing him to Rwanda. As they did not want to sully the image of their country, they have waited for the Rwandan authorities to fabricate an extradition case.
To recall some facts, Mr Cassien NTAMUHANGA has an official status of a political refugee in Mozambique and therefore has legal protection from persecution under the auspices of the UNHCR. This legal protection from the UNHCR means that he cannot be legally transferred to Rwanda and he must be released immediately.
We are still calling for the mobilization of everyone who supports democracy in Rwanda to ensure that these legal safeguards sanctioned by the UNHCR are maintained and that Mr NTAMUHANGA’s safety is ensured.
The wrongful arrest of Cassien NTAMUHANGA is further evidence of the human rights violations that are consistently perpetrated against people of Rwandan background all over the world by the government of President Paul Kagame. It is our duty to peacefully engage in the education of the public to ensure that they are aware of the human rights violations that are summarily perpetrated against former and current Rwandan Citizens irrespective of their location with Rwanda or beyond borders.
Thank you in advance of your support.
The General Secretariat of the Rwandan Alliance for the National Pact RANP-ABARYANKUNA
Tel: +33749479002
