Umurabyo journalists’ verdict set for today

The Supreme Court is today expected to pass the verdict in the appeal case involving two journalists of the weekly tabloid, Umurabyo.The journalists, Agnes Nkusi Uwimana, the editor, and reporter Saidath Mukakibibi, are serving 17 and 7 year sentences, respectively.The High Court found Uwimana guilty of threatening state security, fuelling genocide ideology, divisionism and defamation, while Mukakibibi was convicted of threatening state security.“The same panel of Judges led by the Chief Justice (Sam Rugege) will preside over the ruling,” the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court Olivier Rukundakuvuga told The New Times yesterday.Prosecution has accused the journalists of publishing articles in the tabloid with the intent of inciting the public against a democratically elected government, and deliberately attempting to pit citizens against each other using ethnic divisions.Nkusi is also charged with defamation by publishing articles and photographs that directly attack the person of President Paul Kagame with an aim of inciting the masses against the Head of State.Mukakibibi, on the other hand, alleged in one of the articles that President Kagame was not the “right person to replace president Juvenal Habyarimana” because more people have died under his leadership, the economy and education declined, as well as many other unfounded allegations which prosecution says were designed to tarnish the image of the President and turn the people against him.

National

Umurabyo journalists’ verdict set for today