Africa-Press – Rwanda. The High Court in Kigali has postponed the trial in substance of Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza and her co-accused to an unspecified date, after she sought the recusal of the bench and requested a new panel of judges.
Her trial resumed on Tuesday, September 2, when the presiding judge noted that Ingabire had earlier requested, on August 28, to postpone the proceedings for three reasons. Among these, she said one of her lawyers is not yet available.
She pointed out that she needs two lawyers to defend her, given the seriousness of the charges, but one of them, a Kenyan lawyer, has not yet been approved by the Rwanda Bar Association to practice in the country.
She also said that she has a pending case before the Supreme Court challenging Article 106 of the Criminal Procedure Law. Lastly, she said she had not had enough time to prepare, explaining that she only received her case file on August 20.
However, when asked to elaborate on her request, Ingabire instead moved to raise another argument where she noted that she wants a recusal of the judges in charge of the case.
She argued that the same judges had previously requested the investigation which led to her arrest, making it impossible for her to receive a fair trial before them.
In response, the presiding judge explained that she and her legal team must comply with the law, which requires any party seeking disqualification of a judge to submit written reasons within 24 hours. The trial will resume after the court rules on her objection.
According to law, the grounds for the recusal of a judge include personal interest of the judge in the case, family relations with the parties or their representatives, enmity or particular friendship with a litigant, prior involvement in the case in any official capacity, or having already expressed an opinion on the matter.
Article 106 stipulates that disqualification must be raised in writing before judgment is delivered.
More about the charges Ingabire faces
Ingabire, the founder of the unregistered political party DALFA–Umurinzi, faces six charges: establishing or joining a criminal organisation, conspiring to commit crimes against the government, inciting unrest, resisting lawful authority, organising or participating in unlawful demonstrations, and spreading false information and propaganda intended to discredit the government internationally.
She was added earlier this year to an ongoing trial that began in 2021 involving nine co-accused, among them YouTuber Théoneste Nsengimana of Umubavu TV and Sylvain Sibomana, said to be a coordinator of DALFA–Umurinzi.
Prosecutors allege that Ingabire led a secret mobilisation campaign disguised as an English language training programme, aimed at teaching non-violent strategies to undermine the government. They claim the sessions were facilitated through encrypted platforms such as Jitsi Meet, using materials including Blueprint for Revolution by Serbian activist Srđa Popović.
According to the prosecution, Ingabire provided participants with smartphones and data bundles while maintaining communication through encrypted channels. Financial records and WhatsApp messages have been presented as evidence.
One of her former employees, Boniface Nzabandora, reportedly grew suspicious of the programme and submitted evidence to authorities, triggering a broader investigation.
Prosecutors further allege that Ingabire has historical links to insurgent groups, including the P5 coalition and RUD-Urunana, the latter accused of carrying out the 2019 Kinigi attacks.
Audio recordings and witness testimonies allegedly place her at the centre of training sessions in September 2021, where a facilitator known as “Sandra” introduced Popović’s strategies for civil resistance.
In addition, Ingabire is accused of discussing military training with Cassien Ntamuhanga, a fugitive previously convicted of terrorism-related crimes.
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