Nairobi – Human Rights Watch called on Rwandan authorities on Tuesday to launch an independent, transparent investigation into the death of Aimable Karasira, a university lecturer and outspoken critic of the government, who died in custody on the day he was due to be released.
Karasira, 45, had been detained since May 2021 on charges of genocide denial, justification and divisionism – offenses that carry heavy penalties in Rwanda. After serving four years of a five‑year term while awaiting trial, he was scheduled for release on 6 May 2026. The Rwandan Correctional Services announced that he died of a medication overdose at Nyarugenge District Hospital in Kigali, saying he had taken large quantities of prescribed drugs for a pre‑existing condition.
Human Rights Watch senior Great Lakes researcher Clémentine de Montjoye said the circumstances of Karasira’s death raise serious doubts. “The government bears the burden of proving that Karasira was not unlawfully killed, and Rwanda’s partners should be watching closely,” she said.
Karasira’s case reflects a broader pattern of repression. He first attracted official attention after publishing a 2020 YouTube video recounting personal losses during the 1994 genocide and questioning the ruling Rwandan Patriotic Front’s post‑genocide policies. He reported receiving threats, anonymous phone calls and pressure from intelligence officials to disseminate false information about government opponents. During his detention, Karasira alleged repeated torture, sleep deprivation, beatings, denial of medical care for diabetes and mental‑health issues, and inadequate food and access to funds.
The prosecution had appealed his acquittal on several charges and was seeking a 30‑year sentence at the time of his death. Human Rights Watch noted that Rwanda has a history of avoiding independent inquiries into the deaths of detainees and political critics, citing the 2020 death of singer‑activist Kizito Mihigo, which authorities attributed to suicide.
Under the United Nations’ Minnesota Protocol, a state is presumed responsible for deaths in custody unless it can demonstrate otherwise, especially when the deceased is a political opponent or human‑rights defender. HRW urged Rwanda to invite an independent panel, including the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial killings and members of the African Commission’s Working Group on Death Penalty and Enforced Disappearances, to conduct a forensic autopsy and publish the findings.
The organization also called on Rwanda’s regional and international partners to publicly demand a thorough, impartial investigation, emphasizing that Karasira’s death underscores a growing climate of intimidation against dissenting voices in the country.
