NORTHERN PROVINCE

GICUMBI—Police in Byumba, Gicumbi district have arrested 10 people on charges of treason, genocide denial and use of illegal national flags in Rwanda.

Gratien Mupenzi, the district president of Private Sector Federation (PSF), Antoine Dukuzimana, a Catholic Brother working at a stationery bookshop in Byumba town, Apolinaire Mizerero and others were arrested last week. Mizero is a former Judge of Gisenyi in the Western Province, currently operating a bar in Byumba town.

The police identified the other suspects as  Masista Murwanashyaka, the proprietor of Byumba’s ‘La Fontaine’ Bar, the headmaster of APAPEB Secondary School, Emmanuel Karekezi, the in-charge of Planning at Gicumbi district, Emmanuel Akimanaizanye, a taxi driver Jean Pierre Munyensanga and a technician in a construction company Epaphrose Mukiza.

Police say the suspects were arrested for keeping the old national flag, while Apolinaire Mizerero was arrested for having seditious writings sealed in a hard envelope at the counter of his bar.

"The envelope with all its contents was confiscated upon raiding this bar commonly referred to as an Embassy,” said a police officer who asked not to be named because he is not authorised to speak to the press.

The Police source said Mizerero’s wife Mary Theresa Dusabe and their son Olivier Rukundo were also arrested for interrogation.

The duo gave the entire list of key ring leaders in the Genocide denial, seditious propaganda and the distribution of former Rwandan flags to their supporters in the district, police said.

The contents of the seditious writings availed to The New Times include a seven-page hand-written unsigned letter calling upon Rwandan FDLR rebels to disrupt the September parliamentary polls, to form income generating societies referred to as "Ibibina” in order to strengthen their supporters’ financial power and to sensitise secondary and university students in the country to continue with the genocide ideology campaign.

"We are with you at all times and shall win the struggle,” reads the letter in part. 

The letter also calls upon FDLR supporters in the country to hold meetings to propagate Genocide ideology in the late hours of the night, in shops and bars, where they are not easily suspected.

The suspects were forwarded to Gicumbi district Prosecution department on Wednesday.

"These people will be charged with treason under Article 164 of the Rwandan Penal code and Article 4 of the Organic law that charges crimes of Genocide and other acts against humanity committed in Rwanda. It carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment,” said an official at the prosecution department. 

However, prosecution said it had granted provisional release to seven of the suspects pending further investigations.

Those who are still detained include Mizerero, his wife Dusabe and their son Rukundo.

Ends