Rwanda
Newspaper editor jailedPosted Jul 14 2010
On July 9, Agnes Uwimana, editor of Umurabyo, a private newspaper in Rwanda, was arrested on charges of defamation to the president and espousing genocide.
According to the International Women’s Media Foundation, the Rwandan government has been shutting down many newspapers recently that bring up sensitive topics or are critical of the government. Umuseso and Umugizi are two other leading independent newspapers that have been shut down prior to the August election.
The IWMF co-chair Barbara Cochran said, “In arresting Agnes Uwimana, the government of Rwanda is invoking the legacy of genocide and national security to silence independent voices in the media.” IWMF has condemned the arrest and called for the release of Uwimana.
If convicted, Uwimana could receive up to 50 years in prison.