The 22-page report alleges torture and ill-treatment of prisoners and detainees by officials at Nyarugenge Prison in Kigali, Rubavu Prison in the Western Province, and the Kwa Gacinya detention facility.
In a swift rejoinder, Rwanda Government Spokesperson Yolande Makolo rubbished the claims, highlighting HRW's lack of credibility due to its history of false and malicious reports.
'Human Rights Watch does not have a monopoly on human rights and has repeatedly shown itself to be neither serious nor credible. They continue to target Rwanda with fabricated stories, just as they did in 2017 when several Rwandans, whom HRW falsely claimed had been 'summarily executed' for stealing goats and fruit, appeared alive at a press conference held by Rwanda's National Commission for Human Rights,' Makolo stated, referring to HRW's past report titled 'All Thieves Must Be Killed'.
The 2017 report alleged that 37 people were killed by police officers, soldiers, reservists, and members of the District Administration Security Support Organ (DASSO) in the districts of Rubavu and Rutsiro over 'suspected theft and petty crimes'.
It was later established that all the aforementioned individuals were alive, following an investigation carried out by the National Commission for Human Rights.
In the latest report, titled ''They Threw Me in the Water and Beat Me': The Need for Accountability for Torture in Rwanda', HRW claims that judges in Rwanda ignored complaints from current and former detainees about unlawful detention and ill-treatment.
The organization purports to have relied on testimonies from 28 individuals interviewed between 2019 and 2024 and demands that the government conduct a comprehensive investigation into torture in Rwanda's prisons.
Ironically, in the same report where HRW accused the government of inaction, they lauded the trial of six prison officials and 12 detainees who were convicted over the assault of inmates in Rubavu Prison in April this year.
HRW has severally been criticized for making false reports motivated by political reasons.
In March 2022, the government spokesperson rejected a report accusing the Rwandan government of abusive prosecutions against opposition members, journalists, and commentators based on their speech and opinions. Makolo termed the report, titled 'Rwanda: Wave of Free Speech Prosecutions', as biased.
In September 2023, HRW released another report accusing Rwanda of abusing the rights of transgender people, sex workers, and street children.
At the time, Rwanda explained the report was a calculated attempt to harm a strategic sector of Rwanda's economy with fabricated allegations.
IGIHE
Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/rwanda-rubbishes-human-rights-watch-s-torture-allegations
