Petition · Mozambique: Mozambique should free Cassien Ntamuhanga · Change.org
Who is Cassien Ntamuhanga ?
Cassien Ntamuhanga is a young Rwandan journalist, former Director of Amazing Grace Radio. On April 07,2014, in Kigali – Rwanda, he was kidnapped alongside with his colleague Gerald Niyomugabo who was a researcher on religion and history of Rwanda, author and a university professor and Kizito Mihigo who was a singer, a peace, unity and reconciliation activist and were both held incommunicado in unknown safe house where we they have been tortured for the whole week".
During that time their disappearance was being reported in local media in Rwanda but the Rwandan Police kept denying any implication in their case. However, due to a certain local and international pressure, a week after their sudden disappearance, the Rwandan police accepted publicly that Ntamuhanga Cassien and Kizito Mihigo were arrested for conspiracy. Unfortunately, the same police authorities took advantage of a relatively week advocacy for the third companion arrested by them in a broad daylight, Mr. Niyomugabo Gerard and kept denying any implication, and up to today, 7 years later, none knows his whereabouts nor his fate.
After a parody of justice, Mr. Cassien Ntamuhanga and Mr. Kizito Mihigo were sentenced respectively to 25 years and 10 years in jail. While in custody, the same Rwandan Police abducted three brothers of Cassien Ntamuhanga and since that day, they have also disappeared, presumably killed. In 2017, Mr. Cassien Ntamuhanga succeeded to escape the prison and arrived in Mozambique where he sought and got asylum. It is important to recall that after a series of actions for advocating for Kizito Mihigo, the Rwandan judiciary accepted to shortly release him on bail in 2018, to be assassinated in police custody and cover his murder as a premeditated suicide in 2020. His case is internationally known. After his escape, Cassien Ntamuhanga will arrive in Mozambique where he got asylum and lived under refugee status protection.
Nevertheless, as the Government of Rwanda continued to hunt him in order to "silence" as done for his two companions, on 23 May 2021, he was arrested by some elements of Mozambican criminal police accompanied according to reliable sources by some unidentified "foreigners" at Inhaca Island on the East costline of Maputo where he was living.
Up to date, after vehemently denying any implication, now the Government of Mozambique, through the unnamed authorities in O Pais newspaper, has shyly admitting that Ntamuhanga has been staying on their territory and that they will soon inform the public about his case, while on the other side, the Government of Rwanda through the voice of Rwandan Ambassador in Maputo says that Cassien's arrest story is a "fake news"!
After a number of extra judicial and extra territorial illegal arrest, organized by the Rwandan regime targeting its political opponents – with Paul Rusesabagina case as a very recent example – and considering the silence of the Mozambique Government on this case while reliable source indicate the direct implication of their criminal police, we call upon everyone committed to justice, basic human rights and freedom of speech, to stand up and sign this petition for:
1. Requesting Mozambique, a country known for its democratic values and history of fighting for justice, to avoid sullying its image by helping Rwanda Paul Kagame regime to kidnap and eventually kill Mr. Cassien Ntamuhanga as they did for his comrades and brothers.
2. Requesting Mozambique to unconditionally release Cassien Ntamuhanga
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