The trial of Victoire Ingabire opened today (5 September 2011) in Kigali, Rwanda. Mrs Ingabire is represented by Iain Edwards along with a former president of the Rwandan Bar. She is the chairperson of a coalition of Rwandan opposition parties. She intended to stand as a candidate in last year’s presidential elections but was instead barred from registering, was arrested, and was charged with offences related to terrorism, creating an armed group with the aim of waging war, genocide ideology, sectarianism, and disseminating rumours aimed at inciting the public against the existing leadership. The trial will last several weeks.
The case has attracted a great deal of international media attention.