Changes from resolution motion to resolution motion joint

Removedwhereas Ingebire faces charges of establishing or joining a criminal organisation, conspiring to commit crimes against the government, inciting unrest, resisting lawful authority, organising or participating in unlawful demonstrations, and spreading false information and propaganda intended to discredit the government internationally; whereas the charges against her are widely seen as politically motivated;

Added1. Strongly condemns the arrest of Victoire Ingabire on 19 June 2025 and expresses serious concern over the pattern of abuse against opposition parties and figures, journalists, civil society actors and dissidents, contrary to Rwanda’s international human rights obligations;

Removedwhereas in 2010 Ingabire returned to Rwanda after 16 years of exile in the Netherlands, intending to challenge President Kagame in the presidential election, but was barred from running; whereas she was arrested and prosecuted on charges of “genocide ideology” and terrorism in a trial widely denounced by the international community; whereas she was convicted and sentenced to 15 years in prison, of which she served eight, five in solitary confinement;

Added2. Calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Victoire Ingabire and other opposition figures on trial for peacefully exercising their fundamental rights, and demands that politically motivated charges be dropped;

Removedwhereas on 24 November 2017 the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights ruled that Rwanda violated Ingabire’s rights, specifically her right to freedom of expression and her right to a proper defence; whereas the Rwandan government refused to acknowledge or comply with the decision;

Added3. Underlines that Ingabire’s ongoing trial is marred by serious irregularities; calls on Rwanda to accredit Ingabire’s selected legal team; urges Rwanda to accept the AfCHPR’s jurisdiction, fully comply with its 2019 order for reparations, and respect international human rights mechanisms;

Removedwhereas Ingabire was pardoned by President Kagame in September 2018; whereas she was barred from running for public office and from travelling abroad without permission from the Minister of Justice; whereas her repeated requests to visit her family in the Netherlands have gone unanswered;

Added4. Urges the Rwandan authorities to end the harassment, arbitrary arrest and imprisonment of opposition members, journalists and civil society, to guarantee press and media freedom, and to offer space for political debate and democratic participation, including ensuring free and fair elections; expresses grave concern at the unresolved deaths and enforced disappearances of opposition figures, and demands prompt, independent and transparent investigation following international standards;

Removedwhereas Ingabire’s request to expunge her criminal record and allow her to run in the July 2024 presidential election was rejected; whereas official results declared President Kagame the winner with over 99 percent of the vote;

Added5. Calls on EU and Member States’ delegations in Kigali to visit those arbitrarily detained and to monitor judicial procedures; calls on the EU and Member States to raise the crackdown on political opposition and compliance with human rights in political dialogue at the highest level with the Rwandan Government and ensure that cooperation with Rwanda is consistent with the promotion of human rights and democracy, including fair trial standards;

Removedwhereas Ingabire’s arrest follows the earlier arrests of eight activists from her party, and journalist Théoneste Nsengimana, in October and December 2021; whereas they are being prosecuted for their participation in an online training detailing non-violent mobilization techniques;

Added6. Calls on the Commission to review existing financial and other support, such as the Justice and Accountability Programme, to Rwandan state institutions implicated in arbitrary detention, torture or unfair trials;

RemovedCondemns the Rwandan government’s persistent inhumane treatment of Victoire Ingabire; expresses its deep concern at the politically motivated charges and calls for a free and fair trial meeting international standards; in the absence of such a trial, demands Ingabire’s unconditional release and the restoration of her civil and political rights;

RemovedIs concerned at the pattern of abuses against opposition parties, journalists, activists, and other critics of the government; calls on the Rwandan Government to comply with its international human rights obligations;

RemovedReiterates that a functioning opposition, a vibrant civil society and independent media are essential to maintaining the gains achieved in economic and social development in the post-genocide era;

RemovedInstructs its President to forward this resolution to the President of Rwanda, the VP/HR, the Council, Member States, the African Union, and the United Nations.