Holiday Card Action 2008

RWANDA – François-Xavier Byuma

François-Xavier Byuma, President of Turengere Abana, an organization that investigates violations of children's rights, was sentenced to 19 years' imprisonment following an unfair trial. His organization published a report in May 2007 investigating claims that a 17-year-old girl had been raped by a judge in March of that year. The judge was detained for three days, but then released. His case file was passed on to the Public Prosecutor, but no further review was carried out.

In late May 2007, this same judge presided over François-Xavier Byuma's trial. This presented a clear conflict of interest, denying Mr. Byuma his right to receive a fair trial before an independent and impartial tribunal. François-Xavier Byuma did not have the opportunity to present an adequate defense, and he was ultimately convicted of receiving firearms training, assaulting a woman, and "participating in an attack" during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. Amnesty International is concerned that the charges may have been politically motivated, and it has called for him to receive a new trial that meets international standards.

Please send messages of support to François-Xavier Byuma through his organization. Here is a sample greeting in French that you might use: "Les activistes du monde entier demandent que vous ayez droit à un autre procès equitable." This means: "Activists around the world are demanding your retrial."

Please send cards of support to:

François-Xavier Byuma
c/o Turengere Abana
BP 952
Kigali
RWANDA