KIGALI (Reuters) – A Rwandan court denied bail on Monday to a vocal critic of President Paul Kagame who was barred from running against him in an August election and later jailed on charges of incitement and forgery that are widely seen as politically motivated.
Diane Rwigara and her mother, Adeline, who was also refused bail, said they planned to appeal. Her sister Anne, who is a U.S. citizen, was granted bail.
Diane Shima Rwigara, a prominent critic of Rwanda’s president Paul Kagame, is escorted by police officers into a courtroom in Kigali, Rwanda October 11, 2017. REUTERS/Jean Bizimana
All three women are charged with inciting insurrection while Diane is also accused of forging the signatures of some people she said backed her run for president. Rwigara has said the charges are intended to silence her family and supporters as punishment for her political ambitions.
