General situation
On 20th September 2023, Rwanda's President Paul Kagame confirmed his run for a fourth term in the upcoming presidential election, following his re-election as chairman of the ruling party. Kagame has been in power since 2000, with constitutional changes in 2015 allowing presidents to serve two five-year terms. If re-elected in 2024, he could serve for a total of 10 years.
Expression
On 3rd May 2023, various civil society groups expressed deep concerns regarding the death of prominent journalist John Williams Ntwali in a car accident days after covering a story about the case of a jailed teacher and media investor, Christopher Kayumba. The absence of concrete evidence, including video or photo documentation, and the vagueness of the medical report have triggered suspicions, leading advocacy groups to demand an independent investigation, as previously documented on the Monitor.
On 3rd May 2023, Amnesty International highlighted the continued unlawful detention of journalist Theoneste Nsengimana, who has been held since October 2021 on charges of "spreading rumors to incite unrest among the population.”