Expression
In September 2025, the Rwandan court sentenced a YouTube political commentator, Aimable Karasira Uzaramba, to five years in prison on charges of instigating divisions. As previously reported on the Monitor, Karasira alleged mistreatment, beatings, and denial of medical care in detention. He was arrested in May after he was accused of denying and justifying the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.
Ahead of Rwanda’s Fourth Universal Periodic Review on 21st January 2026, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) criticised the Rwandan authorities for systematically repressing independent journalism and failing to meet their international human rights obligations. CPJ called for the immediate release of journalists detained for their work and urged the government to investigate credible allegations of torture and ill treatment in detention, which authorities have so far failed to address. The organisation identified a clear pattern of abuse, noting that Rwanda routinely relies on prolonged pre-trial detention and vaguely defined charges, particularly against YouTube based commentators, to silence critical voices in violation of international freedom of expression standards.