Charles Ntakirutinka
| Charles Ntakirutinka | |
|---|---|
| Transportation Minister | |
| Personal details | |
| Nationality | Rwandan |
| Political party | Parti Démocratique de Renouveau |
Charles Ntakirutinka is a former Transportation Minister of the Rwandan government who was later imprisoned on charges of creating civil disorder as well as planning assassinations. Amnesty International named him a prisoner of conscience and a 2011 "priority case".[1]
PDR-Ubuyanja
In May 2001, Charles Ntakirutinka helped found Le Parti Démocratique de Renouveau (Democratic Party for Renewal, PDR-Ubuyanja) with former President Pasteur Bizimungu.[1] Bizumungu was promptly placed under house arrest by the government of current president Paul Kagame.[2]
Ntakirutinka was arrested in April 2002 along with Bizimungu and six other men on charges of disturbing public order, provoking civil conflict and targeting government authorities for assassination.[1] Following a 2004 trial that Amnesty International describes as "falling well short of international standards of fairness", including witness statements allegedly extracted under torture, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison.[1] Human Rights Watch also criticized the trial as "flawed", and noted Ntakirutinka's continued imprisonment in their 2009 annual report.[3]
On 17 February 2006, Ntakirutinka's appeal was rejected by The Supreme Court.[4] He was released on 1 March 2012 after serving his full ten-year sentence.[5]
References
- 1 2 3 4 "CHARLES NTAKIRUTINKA, PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE". Amnesty International. Retrieved 18 April 2011.
- ↑ "Rwanda ex-president under arrest". BBC News. 31 May 2001. Retrieved 18 April 2011.
- ↑ "Rwanda: Events of 2009". Human Rights Watch. Retrieved 18 April 2011.
- ↑ "Rwanda's ex-leader loses appeal". BBC News. 17 February 2006. Retrieved 18 April 2011.
- ↑ "Rwanda: Prisoner of Conscience Released After Decade in Detention". Amnesty International. 1 March 2012. Retrieved 2 March 2012.