On the case of Victoire Ingabire in Rwanda

B100392/2025

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

(2025/2861(RSP))

The European Parliament,

having regard to Rules 150 of its Rules of Procedure,

whereas Victoire Ingabire, a leading opposition figure, returned to Rwanda in 2010 after years in exile and was arrested, tried on politically motivated charges and sentenced to 15 years in prison, before being pardoned in 2018;

whereas her party, DALFA-Umurinzi, remains unregistered despite repeated applications, and was barred from contesting the 2024 elections, excluding its candidates from the democratic process; whereas several opposition activists linked to her movement have died or disappeared in recent years;

whereas in October 2021 seven DALFA-Umurinzi members and a journalist were detained for attending online training on non-violent resistance, qualifying their discussions as subversion, and their trial only began in late 2024 after prolonged detention;

whereas on 19 June 2025 Victoire Ingabire was rearrested in Kigali, accused of forming a criminal group and planning to incite public disorder, charges she denies and which appear linked to the case against her colleagues;

whereas on 19 July 2025 the Kicukiro Primary Court denied her bail, citing risk of flight and interference, a decision upheld by the Nyarugenge Intermediate Court in August 2025, leaving her in detention;

whereas in August 2024 the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention qualified the imprisonment of Ingabire’s colleagues as arbitrary and called for their immediate release and redress;

Strongly condemns the arrest and detention of Victoire Ingabire and the persistent persecution of opposition parties, journalists and human rights defenders in Rwanda;

Calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Victoire Ingabire and all those detained for peacefully exercising their fundamental rights, and demands that politically motivated charges be dropped;

Underlines that Victoire Ingabire’s ongoing trial is marred by serious irregularities, including the refusal to allow her chosen Kenyan defence lawyers, repeated postponements of hearings and the dismissal of her request for judicial recusal; stresses that these developments undermine her right to a fair defence and highlight the urgent need for independent oversight of the proceedings;

Stresses that participation in non-violent civic education and discussion of democratic change cannot be criminalised, and reminds Rwanda of its obligations under international human rights law;

Urges the Rwandan authorities to ensure due process, judicial independence and respect for fair trial guarantees, and to register DALFA-Umurinzi without delay;

Expresses grave concern at the unresolved deaths and enforced disappearances of opposition figures, and demands prompt, independent and transparent investigations following international standards to ensure accountability and justice;

Calls on the European Commission to integrate strict human rights conditionality into all political dialogue and cooperation with Rwanda, particularly in the justice sector, and to review assistance to institutions implicated in arbitrary detention, torture or unfair trials;

Urges the EU and Member States’ delegations in Kigali to request permission to visit those arbitrarily detained and to monitor judicial procedures;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the HRVP, the Government and Parliament of Rwanda, the AU and the UN.