Rwandan opposition leader jailed for life

[Estmeed Reader]

KIGALI (AFP) – A Rwandan court on Friday sentenced an opposition leader to life in prison for recruiting rebels to fight President Paul Kagame's government, his lawyer told AFP.

Deo Mushayidi, a former ruling party member, was also convicted of obtaining a passport through fraud and spreading rumours to incite civil disobedience for which he received shorter terms.

"The high court reached a guilty verdict and sentenced him to life in prison. We are going to appeal," his lawyer Protais Mutembe told AFP.

Mushayidi, who headed the Pact for the Defence of the People, was arrested in March in neighbouring Burundi and handed over to Rwandan authorities and his trial opened in July.

He denied the charges, admitting only that he has been travelling on a Burundian passport since 2006.

Mutembe refuted reports that his client, who was not present during Friday's ruling due to an outbreak of measles in the prison in which he has been detained, had been kidnapped.

 

[MartinDavid]

This is the problem of African politics.... they are never been fair trails!!!

 

[Junius]

Basi ndiyo viongozi wetu hao...tunaowapigia makofi na kuwapongeza kwa upuuuzi wao kama huo...wasiulizwe, wasihojiwe...kitu upinzani kwao ni kama vita!

 

[Kichuguu]

Ili Tanzania tusiingie katika mkuMbo huo ni lazima tufanye mambo matatu katika kubadilisha katiba yetu.

(1) Tupunguze madaraka na mamlaka ya rais.

(2) Tuongeze uhuru na mamlaka za mahakama na bunge visiogope mamlaka ya rais.

(3) Tuongeze uhuru na mamlaka za tume ya utumishi serikalini na tume ya uchaguzi ziwe huru na ziwe na mamlaka mazito ya kushindana na yale ya raisi katika majukumu yake.