A year ago, some 40 genocide survivors and friends petitioned Rwandan President Paul Kagame, calling for a joint international inquiry into the assassination of our fellow survivor, the gospel singer and peace activist Kizito Mihigo. One year on, our call has gone unanswered.
February 21, 2020
To: His Excellency Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda
RE: Request for a Joint International Investigation into the Death of the Tutsi Genocide Survivor, Gospel Singer and Peace Activist, Kizito Mihigo.
Following the tragic death of Kizito Mihigo in a Rwanda National Police detention facility earlier this week, we, the genocide survivors and undersigned friends, urge the government of Rwanda to launch a joint-international investigation into the circumstances leading to the controversial death of Kizito Mihigo.
A short public statement issued by the Rwanda National Police, February 17, stated that Kizito Mihigo took his own life while in police custody located in the capital Kigali.
Like many Rwandans, and non-Rwandans alike, we received the news of the sudden death of Kizito Mihigo with great shock, disbelief and some degree of suspicion.
Contrary to the conventional wisdom suggesting that all death inquiries should be conducted as a homicide investigation until the facts have proven differently, the Rwandan authorities confirmed the suicide claim even before evaluating basic facts, such as a post-mortem report by a qualified medical examiner. Given this flaw and many other irregularities, we call on the government of Rwanda, in line with international legal standards, to launch an independent joint international inquiry without delay and to make public the investigation findings promptly.
As we continue to mourn the heartbreaking loss of Kizito Mihigo, we firmly believe that an independent joint international investigation between the Rwandan Government and independent non-governmental experts is of paramount importance. Such an initiative will bring closure to the cruel uncertainty we are stuck in now, restore public trust in the Rwanda police and clear the suspicion of a staged murder of the 38-year-old gospel singer who never had any known life-threatening behavior that would suggest suicide intent.
We, the undersigned, reaffirm our grave concern relating to the current flawed investigation into the controversial death of Kizito Mihigo, and, therefore, request a joint international inquiry following the international legal standards of investigation.
Yours sincerely,Copy for Information
– António Manuel de Oliveira Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations
– Jeppe Tranholm-Mikkelsen, Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union
– Father Gonzalo Aemilius, Personal Secretary to His Holiness Pope Francis
– Archbishop Andrzej Józwowicz, Apostolic Nuncio to Rwanda
– Michelle Bachelet, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
– Augustin Iyamuremye, President of the Senate of Rwanda
– Edouard Ngirente, Prime Minister of the Government of Rwanda
– Johnston Busingye, Minister of Justice and Attorney-General, Rwanda
– Kenneth Roth, Executive Director of Human Rights Watch
– Sanjoy Hazarika, International Director of the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative
– Julie Verhaar, Acting Secretary General at Amnesty International
– International Federation for Human Rights
– African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights
– National Commission for Human Rights, Rwanda
For media inquiries, please contact Dr. Philippe Basabose at bafilipo@gmail.com or me at gasakeu@gmail.com
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