On the case of Victoire Ingabire in Rwanda

B100391/2025

Motion for a European Parliament resolution on the case of Victoire Ingabire in Rwanda

(2025/2861(RSP))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to Rule 150 of its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to its previous human rights resolutions on Rwanda,

whereas on 20 June 2025, Rwandan authorities arrested prominent opposition leader Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza, head of the unregistered DALFA‑Umurinzi party, on charges including “inciting public disorder” and “forming a criminal organisation,” in a move widely denounced as politically motivated;

whereas the arrest follows Ingabire's participation as a witness in a trial against individuals accused of distributing a book advocating peaceful resistance; whereas her bail was denied in July 2025 and she remains in custody, further illustrating the regime’s intolerance for dissent;

whereas Ingabire had previously been imprisoned from 2010 to 2018 on similar politically charged accusations and was released on presidential pardon, being barred from political activity;

whereas the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights ruled in 2017 that her prior detention violated her fundamental rights, a judgment Rwanda has systematically ignored;

whereas Rwanda’s 2024 presidential election saw President Paul Kagame re-elected with over 99 % of the vote amid the disqualification of credible opposition candidates, confirming concerns over democratic backsliding;

Strongly condemns the new arrest of Victoire Ingabire and ongoing judicial oppression of political opposition in Rwanda;

Demands her immediate and unconditional release and the restoration of her full civil and political rights;

Deplores the overall human rights situation in Rwanda and in particular the targeted persecution of dissenting voices; condemns politically motivated trials and the prosecution of political opponents; urges the Rwandan authorities to ensure the separation of powers, in particular the independence of the judiciary;

Reminds that human rights violations linked to the Rwandan authorities are not limited to actions within Rwanda’s borders, but also extend to the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo, where multiple UN reports have implicated Rwanda in providing military and logistical support to the M23 rebel group, responsible for serious atrocities, including massacres of civilians, sexual violence, and mass displacement in eastern Congo;

Calls on the European Union and Member States to increase diplomatic pressure, while considering targeted measures, such as visa restrictions or financial sanctions, against individuals responsible for undermining political freedoms in Rwanda;

Asks the Commission to critically review the EU’s support to the Rwandan Government and state institutions to ensure that it fully promotes human rights and has no negative repercussions on the freedoms of expression and association, political pluralism, respect for the rule of law and an independent civil society;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Council, the Commission, the African Union, the United Nations, and the government of Rwanda.