John Williams Ntwali, 44, editor of The Chronicles newspaper was killed on Wednesday when a speeding vehicle rammed a motorcycle he was riding pillion.
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What you need to know:
- John Williams Ntwali, 44, editor of The Chronicles newspaper, died on January 18 when a vehicle rammed into the motorcycle he was riding as a passenger near the capital Kigali.
- Since the end of the 1994 genocide, which claimed at least 800,000 mainly Tutsi lives, Rwanda has been ruled with an iron fist by Paul Kagame.
Free press campaign group Reporters Without Borders attacked the legal process over the death of a prominent journalist critical of Rwandan President Paul Kagame's regime as "opaque" on Friday.
John Williams Ntwali, 44, editor of The Chronicles newspaper, died on January 18 when a vehicle rammed into the motorcycle he was riding as a passenger near the capital Kigali.
The driver involved in the crash pleaded guilty and was convicted of "involuntary manslaughter". He was ordered on February 7 to pay a fine of one million Rwandan francs, about 860 euros.
Reporters Without Borders, which goes by its French initials RSF, said in a statement that the trial was a "blitz" and "an opaque procedure that left many areas of shadow over the circumstances of his death".
"This judgment was made on the basis of an investigation that was never made public and which obviously only took into account the hypothesis of an accident, without exploring other avenues," it said.
"In 2012, the journalist, who was already the subject of threats, was the victim of a similar accident which he survived."
"Is 860 euros the price of a journalist's murder in Rwanda?" said Sadibou Marong, director of RSF's Africa desk.
In a tweet on January 23, government spokeswoman Yolande Makolo dismissed the allegations as "baseless insinuations".
At the end of January, 90 human rights organisations, mainly from Africa, called on the Rwandan authorities to launch an "independent, impartial and effective inquiry" based on "international experts".
"Ntwali", as many called him, had been imprisoned numerous times during his career -- sometimes for hours, sometimes for weeks.
He founded the Pax TV channel on YouTube, mostly broadcasting interviews in the Kinyarwanda language with dissident figures.
Since the end of the 1994 genocide, which claimed at least 800,000 mainly Tutsi lives, Rwanda has been ruled with an iron fist by Paul Kagame.
Praised for the successes of his development policy, the president is also criticised by rights groups for his crackdown on free speech.
"Since 1996, eight professionals have been killed or are missing, and 35 have been forced into exile," RSF said on its website, adding that the country ranked 136th out of 180 countries for press freedom.
In the past decade, independent media has dwindled and been muzzled by the government.
No Clarity Over Journalist’s Death in Rwanda
https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/02/09/no-clarity-over-journalists-death-rwanda
“Suspect” Convicted of Manslaughter After Hasty, Quiet Trial
Three weeks after the suspicious death of John Williams Ntwali, one of Rwanda’s last remaining independent investigative journalists, Rwandan authorities have failed to ensure a credible, transparent investigation into the circumstances of his death. Instead, they have followed their well-honed strategy of obstructing investigations, evading questions, and deflecting attention.
On Tuesday, journalists were called to hear a court’s verdict against the driver involved in the alleged car accident that reportedly took Ntwali’s life. It was news for many that the trial had taken place. A judge at the Kagarama primary court said the driver, Moise Emmanuel Bagirishya, charged with involuntary manslaughter, had “pleaded guilty and apologized for the accident.” Bagirishya, who was not at the verdict reading, was fined one million Rwandan francs (US$920).
The trial, which reportedly took place on January 31 behind closed doors, looks like a flimsy cover-up attempt. We still don’t know the location of the alleged accident, or the make and description of the vehicles involved. We haven’t seen photographs or video footage of the accident or a police report.
From the outset, Ntwali’s death was suspicious. He exposed human rights violations in a country where those who challenge the government regularly go missing or die in mysterious circumstances, including car accidents. Ntwali had been threatened and showed signs that he worried about his security. The authorities’ claim – that he was killed in a road accident at 2:50 a.m. without any form of ID or witnesses present – beleaguers belief. That authorities didn’t inform his family for almost 48 hours reinforces these suspicions.
The silence from most of Rwanda’s partners has been deafening. The Commonwealth, which President Paul Kagame presides over, has been silent. Any calls for transparency and for the Rwandan government to be held accountable were met with contempt.
Despite the call by over a hundred organizations for an independent investigation into Ntwali’s death, it is clear the Rwandan government does not want it to happen. The question now is, will Rwanda’s allies and donors let Ntwali’s name quietly join the growing list of critics and opponents who have died in murky, unexplained circumstances? Because if this silence over Ntwali’s death continues, the list will likely grow further.