RWANDA FREEDOM OF SPEECH
Our Voice • Our Freedom
PUBLIC STATEMENT
Statement by Rwanda Freedom of Speech on the Suspicious Death of Colonel Tom Byabagamba
Rwanda Freedom of Speech condemns the suspicious death of Colonel Tom Byabagamba in Rwandan prison after nearly twelve years of detention.
His co-accused, Frank Rusagara, died in the same prison system last year in 2025. The trial was widely criticised for irregularities and the UN previously ruled his detention arbitrary.
We demand an immediate, independent international inquiry into the circumstances of his death, full disclosure of the cause, unrestricted access to records and guarantees of safety for his family and any independent observers.
Deaths in custody under a system that criminalises dissent cannot be accepted without transparent external scrutiny.
His co-accused, Frank Rusagara, died in the same prison system last year in 2025. The trial was widely criticised for irregularities and the UN previously ruled his detention arbitrary.
We demand an immediate, independent international inquiry into the circumstances of his death, full disclosure of the cause, unrestricted access to records and guarantees of safety for his family and any independent observers.
Deaths in custody under a system that criminalises dissent cannot be accepted without transparent external scrutiny.
END