{African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights based in Tanzania has started hearing the appeal of Ingabire Victoire where she protests a 15-year sentence handed by Rwanda Supreme court. }
The hearing was presided over by seven judges on Wednesday with the absence of the government of Rwanda representatives which boycotted the court.
Rwanda announced withdrawal from the African Court of Human and People’s Rights last year.
Defense lawyers who represented Ingabire Victoire include lawyer Gatera Gashabana and Caroline Buisman from Netherlands.
They told the court that their client’s rights were not respected. Caroline Buisman was last year ordered to leave the country by the Directorate of Immigration and Emigration office in Rwanda after she tried to enter Nyarugenge prison to meet Ingabire Victoire without permission.
Both defense lawyers told the court that witnesses accusing Ingabire did it against the law as they worked behind maneuverings.
They also explained that she was punished by laws passed after her arrest while the court read crimes different from alleged accusations.
Lawyer Gashabana told the court that his client was detained for six months before she was informed of alleged crimes which was supposed to have been done at least in five days and appear before the court within seven days.
He explained that all these procedures were not respected adding that Ingabire was jailed against the law, and in secrecy.
Lawyer Gashabana explained that the trial began on 5th September 2011 and finalized on 30th October 2012 while the Supreme Court read the appeal on 13th December 2012.
He said that they provided evidence proving innocence of their client on treason crimes but the court disregarded it as it read the decisions regarding the appeal.
He also explained that the court applied new laws in the appeal and were never used before in trials.
The ruling of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights is expected in no more than three months. Rwanda boycotted the Court following its decision to hear appeal of a genocide ideologue convict.
Rwanda had joined the court in 2013 where Rwandans could file human rights appeals.
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