On the case of Victoire Ingabire in Rwanda

B100394/2025

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

(776.222(RSP))

The European Parliament,

− having regard to Rule 150(5) of its Rules of Procedure

whereas in October 2021, seven members of the political opposition party Development and Liberty for All (DALFA-Umurinzi) were arrested; whereas they have been held in pre-trial detention ever since; whereas the journalist Théoneste Nsengimana has also been held and tried with the party members; whereas the prosecution bases its accusations on the group’s acquisition of a book and participation in a training session on peaceful strategies to resist authoritarianism;

whereas in June 2025, the Rwandan authorities arrested Victoire Ingabire, the head of DALFA-Umurinzi, in connection with the ongoing trial of those other party members; whereas Ingabire is being prosecuted for forming a criminal group, inciting unrest and spreading false information against the Rwandan government;

whereas Ingabire already spent nearly eight years in prison, from 2010 to 2018, following an unfair trial; whereas in 2017, the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights ruled that her rights had been violated; whereas she was pardoned and released in September 2018;

whereas Rwandan authorities have refused to register DALFA-Umurinzi or allow it to take part in elections and have recurrently arrested and harassed its members; whereas several members have gone missing and others have been murdered;

whereas civil society and media operate under severe threats and restrictions in Rwanda;

Strongly condemns the arrest of Ingabire and other opposition figures, and the broader crackdown against Rwanda’s opposition members and journalists;

Calls on the Rwandan authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Ingabire and all other opposition members on trial on politically motivated grounds, and to withdraw the charges brought against them without respect for fair trial standards;

Urges Rwandan authorities to end the harassment, arbitrary arrests and imprisonment of opposition members and journalists, to thoroughly, promptly and impartially investigate any allegations of torture, ill-treatments, disappearances and murders, and to uphold the rule of law, freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly;

Urges Rwandan authorities to end attacks, intimidation, harassment and reprisals against civil society, journalists and the media, to guarantee press and media freedom, and to offer space for political debate;

Calls on the Rwandan authorities to allow for the registration and electoral participation of political opposition parties, including DALFA-Umurinzi, to respect the rights of political parties to organise, and to ensure free and fair elections;

Urges the EU and its Member States to critically engage with the Rwandan authorities and to closely monitor the trials and democratic space; urges them to consider appropriate measures if the situation does not improve;

Calls on the EU to ensure that its dialogue and cooperation with Rwanda is consistent with the promotion of human rights and democracy, freedom of expression, and fair trial standards, and to review financial and other support accordingly;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the HR/VP, the Member States, the African Union, the UN and the Government and Parliament of Rwanda.