Victoire Ingabire needs your support

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Victoire Ingabire needs your support in her struggle against the Rwanda State before the East African Court of Justice (EACJ).

On April 30, 2024, Mrs. Victoire Ingabire initiated proceedings before the East African Court of Justice (EACJ), to obtain a ruling against the Rwanda State refusal to restore her civic rights, including the right to run in the elections scheduled to take place in Rwanda in July 2024

According to Rwandan laws, she lost her civic rights due to her conviction in 2011 to 15 years of prison. Even though she won an appeal before the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights which ruled that the Rwandan State had violated her rights to freedom of expression and adequate defense, Mrs. Victoire still needed a Rwanda court to officially restore her civic rights so that she can run for elections or apply for public office.

Five years after being released on Presidential pardon, Victoire Ingabire applied for the restoration of her civil rights before the High Court of Kigali in October 2023.

On March 13, 2024, the High Court rejected her request, on the motive that she should wait until 2030 before filing such request, which corresponds to the term she would have waited if she had served the totality of her sentence.

The decision of March 13 is not only politically motivated but violates the very constitution of Rwanda as well as the laws relating to the criminal procedure dealing with rehabilitation.

Victoire Ingabire has therefore decided to take the case to the East African Court of Justice (EACJ), where she will seek that the decision taken by the High Court of Justice be invalidated.

While the ruling is expected within the next weeks, please support Victoire to fund her legal fees and share her story everywhere you can!