Rwandan police 'lock people up to keep city clean'

[mngony]

Rwandan police are arbitrarily detaining vulnerable people picked up on the streets of the capital, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW).

The US-based campaign group says Kigali's reputation for being tidy comes at a price.

HRW says it has documented the illegal detention of thousands, including street children and sex workers.

Rwanda's Justice Minister Johnston Busingye denied there were unofficial detention centres in the country.

Mr Busingye added HRW "seeks to spread falsehood and speculation" but that the allegations will be investigated.

He said the centre where people were being taken was for short stays only before long term rehabilitation.

HRW says in its report, based on research carried out over four years, that people are transported from the capital's streets to a vast former garage which was used to interrogate genocide suspects after 1994.

The organisation says the rounding up of street vendors, beggars, homeless people, street children, sex workers and petty criminals reflects an unofficial policy of keeping those considered undesirable away from the public eye.

HRW says detainees are held there in deplorable conditions for periods ranging from a few days to several months.

Former detainees told HRW of routine beatings for actions as trivial as talking too loudly or not standing in line to use the toilet.

Carina Tertsakian, who put together the report, says the Rwandan authorities should immediately close the detention centre and release all the detainees.

"If some of these detainees are suspected of committing a criminal offense they should be brought to justice according to the law," she added.

Rwanda's justice minister told HRW in 2014, and said again on Thursday, that the place where people were taken provided rehabilitation and avoided "unnecessary incarceration".

"While HRW insists that Rwanda should charge drug addicts and other criminals with serious crimes that carry jail terms, the country has instead chosen to focus on rehabilitating and reintegrating them to offer the chance for a better life," he said.

Source: Citizen TV

 

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Africa
Rwandan police 'lock people up to keep city clean'
24 September 2015
From the section Africa
Kigali City Rehabilition transit centreImage copyrightHuman Rights Watch
Rwandan police are arbitrarily detaining vulnerable people picked up on the streets of the capital, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW).
The US-based campaign group says Kigali's reputation for being tidy comes at a price.
HRW says it has documented the illegal detention of thousands, including street children and sex workers.
Justice Minister Johnston Busingye told the BBC the government will respond once they have read the report.
But in a response to HRW in 2014 Mr Busingye rejected the allegations.
HRW says in its report, based on research carried out over four years, that people are transported from the capital's streets to a vast former garage which was used to interrogate genocide suspects after 1994.
Image caption
Kigali's streets have a reputation for being well-ordered and clean
The organisation says the rounding up of street vendors, beggars, homeless people, street children, sex workers and petty criminals reflects an unofficial policy of keeping those considered undesirable away from the public eye.
HRW says detainees are held there in deplorable conditions for periods ranging from a few days to several months.
Former detainees told HRW of routine beatings for actions as trivial as talking too loudly or not standing in line to use the toilet.
Carina Tertsakian, who put together the report, says the Rwandan authorities should immediately close the detention centre and release all the detainees.
"If some of these detainees are suspected of committing a criminal offense they should be brought to justice according to the law," she added.
Rwanda's justice minister told HRW in 2014 that the place the people have been taken is not for detention, but is there to provide rehabilitation that avoided "unnecessary incarceration".

The Government of Rwanda would like to affirm that there are no unofficial detention centres in the country. This comes after Human Rights Watch (HRW) falsely names Gikondo Transit Centre in Kigali as a detention centre. The transit centre has and continues to play an important role in the rehabilitation of those who find themselves on the wrong side of the law.Commenting on the report, Rwanda's Minister of Justice, Johnston Busingye, emphasised that all detention facilities in Rwanda are properly legislated and run in accordance with United Nations standards, and national laws that affirm those principles.Minister Busingye further reiterated that the country's recent history has involved a lot of trauma and family conflict: "Victims of such situations, even if they end up in crime or delinquency, are better off when offered another chance in life. The Government of Rwanda stands by its policy of rehabilitation rather than incarceration. This policy has worked in the past and will continue to do so into the future."While HRW insists that Rwanda should charge drug addicts and other criminals with serious crimes that carry jail terms, the country has instead chosen to focus on rehabilitating and reintegrating them to offer the chance for a better life. This policy of rehabilitation over incarceration is one example of how Rwanda has found unique solutions to the challenges the country faces. "Gikondo is not a detention centre. It is a transit centre and people are held there for a short period before longer term remedial or corrective measures are taken. The later consists of rehabilitating and reintegrating former drug addicts and city dwellers – through drug rehabilitation and learning a trade to prevent repetition – and supporting them to reunite with their families," Minister Busingye said.Over 7,000 Rwandans have completed the transition programme and are now working in carpentry, masonry, welding, tailoring, and bee-keeping cooperatives – improving their wellbeing for a brighter future. The Government of Rwanda takes all allegations of human rights abuses seriously, however speculative they may be. Any information related to possible abuses is welcome and will be thoroughly investigated and appropriate action taken. To facilitate this, the National Police has a toll free hotline which can be used anytime to report any abuses. The office of the Ombudsman and the National Commission for Human Rights also welcome any information on human rights violations so that they can be fully investigated.It is unfortunate that Human Rights Watch has again chosen to deliberately mislead people with false statements that serve only to undermine Rwanda's efforts to provide a better life for its citizens. HRW has a Memorandum of Understanding with Rwanda's Ministry of Justice through which human rights concerns can be raised and addressed by the institutions responsible. The Government of Rwanda encourages HRW to use this MoU to address any concerns it has in a constructive manner. However, it has become increasingly clear that HRW refuses to engage through the mechanisms established under the MoU and instead seeks to spread falsehood and speculation. The Government of Rwanda invites Human Rights Watch to provide information on the alleged cases – according to its report – and any others so that they may be investigated and due process undertaken.