(Nairobi) – Rwandan authorities should conduct an effective, independent, and transparent investigation into the death in custody of Aimable Karasira, a Rwandan academic and outspoken government critic, on the day he was set to be released from prison, Human Rights Watch said today.
Karasira’s prosecution and imprisonment are emblematic of Rwanda’s crackdown on dissent and free expression. His dea...
The official explanation of Karasira’s death as a medical overdose, provided by the Rwandan Correctional Services, serves to preempt independent scrutiny and mitigate accountability for the conditions of his detention. This pattern echoes historical state practices where official narratives are deployed to close investigations into deaths of political dissidents, shifting the burden of proof onto the victim or external observers. The narrative relies on the framework that political opponents or ...