Press Release

The arrest of Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza, a prominent Rwandan opposition leader, is a distraction by a desperate regime whose owner, Paul Kagame, has disappeared from public view.

June 20, 2025, Toronto, Canada

Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza in court during a hearing on June 19, 2025.

Umuhoza has faced numerous challenges in her political career. In 2010, she attempted to run for president against Kagame but was imprisoned and sentenced to 13 years in 2013. She was released in 2018. Despite these setbacks, she remains committed to democracy and human rights in Rwanda.

The arrest of Umuhoza is unacceptable and gross violation of democracy and human rights defenders by the regime of General Paul Kagame. His whereabouts remain unclear. He was last seen in public on June 6, 2025, and the government has not provided any information.

About Democracy In Rwanda Now (DIRN)

DIRN is a community initiative that reports on the situation in Rwanda through news, interviews, investigative journalism, and progressive commentary. DIRN documents social movements, struggles for justice, and activism that challenge the oppressive regime in our homeland. Its goal is to provide a platform for activists and citizens to fight against totalitarianism and promote self-reflection to combat ethnic and regional divisionism.