{{Short description|Rwandan military officer and political prisoner (1955–2025)}} {{Infobox person | name = Frank Rusagara | birth_date = 1955<!-- {{Birth date and age|YYYY|MM|DD}} or {{Birth-date and age|Month DD, YYYY}} --> | birth_place = Ruanda-Urundi | death_date = March 2025 <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} or {{Death-date and age|Month DD, YYYY|Month DD, YYYY}} (death date then birth date) --> | death_place = Kigali, Rwanda | other_names = | known_for = | occupation = }} '''Frank Rusagara''' (1955–2025) was a Rwandan military officer and political prisoner.<ref name="Ssuuna">{{cite web |last1=Ssuuna |first1=Ignatius |title=Rwanda rejects British legislators' call to free officers |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/rwanda-rejects-british-legislators-call-free-officers-66817206 |website=AP |access-date=July 20, 2021 |date=November 7, 2019}}</ref> He was arrested and charged with inciting insurrection and tarnishing the government’s image.<ref name="Ssuuna" /> Initially sentenced to 20 years imprisonment, the Court of Appeal in Kigali reduced his sentence while upholding his conviction in 2019.<ref name="Rwamapera">{{cite web |last1=Rwamapera |first1=Kelly |title=Byabagamba and Rusagara sentences reduced to 15 years |url=https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/news/east-africa/byabagamba-and-rusagara-sentences-reduced-to-15-years-1433756 |website=The East African |access-date=July 20, 2021 |date=December 28, 2019}}</ref>
== Background == Rusagara held multiple senior positions in the Rwanda Defense Force.<ref name="hrw 2016">{{cite web |title=Rwanda: Ex-Military Officers Convicted Over Comments |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/04/01/rwanda-ex-military-officers-convicted-over-comments |website=Human Rights Watch |access-date=July 20, 2021 |date=April 1, 2016}}</ref> These include secretary general of the Defence Ministry and military attaché in the Rwandan High Commission in the United Kingdom.<ref name="hrw 2016" /> In 2013, he returned to Rwanda and was forced into retirement, along with 78 other military officers.<ref name="unwgad new">{{cite web |last1=United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention |title=Opinions adopted by the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention at its sixty-fifth session (20-24 November 2017) Opinion No. 85/2017 concerning Franck Kanyambo Rusagara, Tom Byabagamba and François Kabayiza (Rwanda) |url=https://undocs.org/A/HRC/WGAD/2017/85 |access-date=July 20, 2021 |date=January 4, 2018}}</ref>
== 2014 Arrest and Sentence == Frank Rusagara was arrested on August 18, 2014.<ref name="hrw 2016" /> It was claimed by the prosecution that Rusagara had criticized President Paul Kagame, had made complimentary remarks about the Rwanda National Congress (an exiled opposition group), and had called the country a “police state” and a “banana republic.”<ref name="hrw 2016" />
On January 5, 2016, he was tried jointly in the Kanombe Military High Court with his brother-in-law Colonel Tom Byabagamba, the former head of the Presidential Guard unit, as well as his driver, retired Sergeant François Kabayiza.<ref name="Rwamapera" /><ref name="unwgad new" /> On March 31, 2016, the court found Rusagara guilty of all charges against him and sentenced him to 20 years imprisonment.<ref name="unwgad new" />
In December 2019, the Court of Appeal in Kigali upheld his conviction while reducing his sentence to 15 years.<ref name="Rwamapera" /> He will be released in 2029. During the appeal, he told the court that he was subject to solitary and confinement and close surveillance by cameras.<ref name="Rwamapera" />
Rusagara’s arrest was part of a series of arrests against former members of Rwanda’s ruling party, the Rwandan Patriotic Front, who have been critical of the government.<ref name="hrw 2016" />
== International Response == In July 2017, human rights focused non-profit Freedom Now submitted a petition to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on behalf of Rusagara, Byabagamba, and Kabayiza.<ref>{{cite web |title=Freedom Now Files Petition to UN on behalf of Three Former Rwandan Military Officers |url=https://www.freedom-now.org/freedom-now-files-petition-to-un-on-behalf-of-three-former-rwandan-military-officers/ |website=Freedom Now |access-date=July 20, 2021 |date=July 17, 2017}}</ref> In December 2017, the Working Group determined that their detention was arbitrary and violated international.<ref name="unwgad new" /> In February 2018, the Rwandan government denied the allegations and claimed it was not aware of the UN Working Group’s communications.<ref>{{cite web |title=Rwanda's response to the Opinion 85/2017 of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention |url=https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/Detention/Opinions/CommentsRwanda20Feb2018.pdf |access-date=July 20, 2021 |date=February 19, 2018}}</ref>
In November 2017, Amnesty International submitted a report to the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights which stated that "judges have failed to adequately address allegations of torture during interrogation” in the trial of Rusagara.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Amnesty International |title=Rwanda: Submission To The African Commission On Human And Peoples' Rights |url=https://www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/AFR4761432017ENGLISH.PDF |access-date=July 20, 2021 |date=November 1, 2017}}</ref>
On December 4, 2018, Kate Barth, then Legal Director at Freedom Now, highlighted the case while testifying before the U.S. House of Representatives’ Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Barth |first1=Kate |title=Written Remarks for Tom Lantos Commission Briefing: Rwanda Human Rights and Political Prisoners |url=https://www.freedom-now.org/wp-content/uploads/Testimony-to-the-Tom-Lantos-Human-Rights-Commission-12-5-18.pdf |website=Freedom Now |access-date=July 20, 2021 |date=December 4, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=TomLantosHumanRights |title=Rwanda: Human Rights and Political Prisoners (Part One) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTuYrWs5zaM |website=Youtube |access-date=July 20, 2021 |date=December 4, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=TomLantosHumanRights |title=Rwanda: Human Rights and Political Prisoners (Part Two) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fN2HBCDZIx8 |website=Youtube |access-date=July 20, 2021 |date=December 4, 2018}}</ref> As well, Freedom Now submitted a report detailing the case to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.<ref name="submission freedom now">{{cite web |title=Freedom Now – Individual Submission To The Office Of The High Commissioner For Human Rights, Universal Periodic Review ("UPR"): Rwanda, 37th Session Human Rights Council – UPR Working Group |url=https://www.freedom-now.org/wp-content/uploads/Submission-to-the-UN-Human-Rights-Council-3-19-20.pdf |website=Freedom Now |access-date=July 20, 2021 |date=March 19, 2020}}</ref> This report was delivered on March 19, 2020 in advance of Rwanda’s Universal Period Review conducted by the UN in 2021.<ref name="submission freedom now" />
Lewis Mudge, Central Africa Director of Human Rights Watch, condemned the arrest and stated: "Serious allegations of torture and witness tampering emerged during the flawed trial in 2016. The court of appeals had an opportunity to investigate these allegations and hold those responsible to account, but instead they doubled down on the decision to stamp out criticism of government policy and action.”<ref>{{cite web |title=Rwanda: Free Speech Convictions Upheld |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/01/13/rwanda-free-speech-convictions-upheld |website=Human Rights Watch |access-date=July 20, 2021 |date=January 13, 2020}}</ref>
On November 4, 2019, six British legislators sent a letter to President Paul Kagame which conveyed concern over the ongoing detention of Rusagara and Byabagamba. They stated: "We commend Rwanda’s progress over the last three decades, particularly the strides it has made in creating a more inclusive society that has drawn in marginalized populations. However, we are troubled that Rwanda has imposed disproportionate sentences on individuals who are suffering from serious health issues in poor prison conditions,”.<ref name="Ssuuna" /> In response, Rwanda justice minister Johnston Busingye stated "It would be inappropriate for the Executive to comment on any pending case, seek to influence the outcome or intervene as proposed in your letter,”.<ref name="Ssuuna" />
== Death == Frank Rusagara died in March 2025, after several years in prison, He was serving a 20-year prison sentence at the time of his death.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://chimpreports.com/rwanda-brig-frank-rusagara-dies-in-prison-after-11-years-behind-bars/|title=Rwanda: Brig. Frank Rusagara Dies in Prison After 11 Years Behind Bars |work=chimpreports.com |date=26 March 2025 |access-date=28 March 2025}}</ref>
== See also == * Human rights in Rwanda * Rwandan genocide * Rwandan Civil War * Rwanda National Congress * Paul Kagame
== References ==
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Rusagara, Frank}} Category:Rwandan military personnel Category:1955 births Category:2025 deaths