LONDON, UK – The Friends of Victoire association, along with other UK-based activists, will hold a protest on Friday 5th September 2025, at the Commonwealth Secretariat in London to demand the immediate release of Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza. The prominent Rwandan opposition leader was recently arrested following a court appearance, marking an alarming escalation of repression by the Rwandan authorities.
Ms. Ingabire, a long-time advocate for peaceful political change and a rare critic of President Paul Kagame, was arrested on 19th June 2025. Her arrest came after she was summoned to court to answer for statements made during the trial of nine individuals accused of “plotting to overthrow the government” and “spreading false information.” These charges stem from the peaceful act of reading and discussing the book Blueprint for Revolution by Serbian activist Srdja Popović and attending online trainings on nonviolent resistance.
“Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza is not a criminal. She is a prisoner of conscience,” stated a spokesperson for Friends of Victoire. “Her freedom is essential for democracy and justice in Rwanda.”
The Friends of Victoire association denounces this latest act of intimidation and political harassment. Ms. Ingabire’s legal team has labeled the proceedings as a trial aimed at silencing her and discouraging all political opposition in the country. Her international lawyer, Iain Edwards, told Reuters that this is a “continuation of a long process of intimidation and political harassment against Victoire and her supporters.” He added, “It’s to silence her and to warn others not to speak out against the government. People always fear for the lives of political opponents in Rwanda. I certainly fear for her life.”
Currently, Ms. Ingabire is being held in solitary confinement at Mageragere Prison under conditions that violate the UN Nelson Mandela Rules. She has been denied contact with her family in the Netherlands and her international legal team. Her bail application was rejected amid significant irregularities, including a court’s refusal to allow her Kenyan lawyer to represent her despite Rwandan law permitting lawyers from the East African Community. The courts also ignored a Supreme Court appeal challenging her prosecution and detention.
This targeting of Ms. Ingabire comes despite the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention having already determined that the actions of the nine individuals on trial—which were part of a democratic dialogue about promoting human rights—should not be criminalized. The UN body had called for the immediate release and compensation of the detainees, but instead, Rwandan authorities have escalated their repression by arresting Ms. Ingabire. Following her court hearing, police raided her home, cut off her communication, and arrested her.
Ms. Ingabire, who heads the unregistered opposition party DALFA–Umurinzi, previously returned to Rwanda in 2010 to contest a presidential election but was barred from standing. She was subsequently jailed in 2012 on charges she denied and was freed in 2018. She is now accused by the Rwanda Investigations Bureau of “playing a role in creating a criminal organisation and engaging in acts that incite public disorder.”
Friends of Victoire continues to call on the international community to pressure the Rwandan government for her immediate and unconditional release.
