Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza is a Rwandan activist, political opposition leader and mother of three currently in prison on trumped up charges of terrorism and conspiracy against the government. She has spent most of her political career working with the opposition in exile trying to build a united front against Paul Kagame’s regime in Rwanda. She has been a strong advocate for the rights and economic opportunities of Rwandan citizens, including working towards reconciliation for victims of the Rwandan genocide and other war crimes.
She was arrested only a few months after finally returning to Rwanda from 16 years in exile. Following claims by her defense of falsified testimonies and witness intimidation on the part of the prosecution, she and her lawyers boycotted the remainder of her trial and refused to return to court. She was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
“My objective is to introduce Rwanda to the rule of law and a constitutional state where international democratic standards are respected, where nationalism will at last be the cornerstone for all public institutions.”
