Rwandan Youtuber Jailed After Sharing Anti-government Online Content
GHRTV Reporter
João Victor Stuart
International Justice and Human Rights
Global Human Rights Defence
On 30th September 2021, a Rwandan court sentenced to 15 years of prison a Youtuber for “inciting violence” after she had criticized President Paul Kagame on her channel. Yvonne Idamange, a genocide survivor, is one of the strongest opponents of the current government in Rwanda. She has been using online platforms, such as Youtube, to raise awareness about the illegalities committed by the local authorities. Despite her absence in court on the day of the conviction, the judge convicted Yvonne of six charges, sentenced her to 15 years behind bars and fined the equivalent of $2,000. The Kigali High Court charged her for inciting violence and public uprising, denigrating genocide artefacts, spreading rumours and violent assault, among other charges. All these accusations were based on Yvonne’s last video, in which she accused Kagame and his government of dictatorship, and of exploiting the genocide without giving enough welfare to the survivors. As a response to her conviction, Yvonne has accused the Rwanda High Court of bias and boycotted proceedings because she had requested the trial to be broadcasted online, but it was rejected by the court. Kagame has governed Rwanda since the end of the genocide, but the country has often come under fire for rights abuses and a crackdown on freedom of speech, critics and the opposition.
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