American based human rights body Amnesty International is calling on Rwanda to ease restrictions on free speech.
According to several news sources including AFP and Reuters, the rights group says the months leading up to last year’s presidential election were marked by a crack down on freedom of expression.
Amnesty is calling on Rwanda to allow opposition politicians, journalists and human rights activists to express their views without fear for their safety.
Amnesty, which has often been accused by the Government of unfair criticism, also wants Rwanda to revise laws on genocide ideology and divisionism, which it says Rwanda uses to curb free speech.
The laws were put in place after the 1994 genocide, when extremist Hutus killed an estimated 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus.
Amnesty says the laws prohibit hate speech but are so broad they criminal other expression, including criticism of the government.
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