Rwandan opposition leader Victoire Ingabire arrested amid fears of escalating crackdown

The Rwandan government has detained prominent opposition leader Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza, in what human rights groups are calling a significant escalation of political repression.

Ingabire, head of the DALFA-Umurinzi party, was arrested late Thursday evening in Kigali and is being held at the Remera station of the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB).

Authorities accuse her of “creating or participating in a criminal group” and “inciting insurrection or public disorder.”

The RIB has yet to provide details or evidence, citing an “ongoing investigation.”

The charges carry potential prison sentences ranging from five to 25 years, and Ingabire may remain in pre-trial detention for up to 30 days, subject to renewal.

“The accusations are vague and politically motivated,” said a statement from the European branch of the FDU-Inkingi party, which Ingabire once led.

“This is a blatant attempt to silence the last credible voice of opposition in Rwanda.”

Ingabire’s arrest follows her testimony in the ongoing trial of nine political activists accused of plotting to overthrow the government.

Her presence in court reportedly prompted the judge to call for an investigation into her “organisational ties” to the defendants — a move critics say blurs the line between witness and suspect, and aims to intimidate opposition voices.

The timing of the arrest has raised further concern.

It comes just months ahead of a planned constitutional referendum, which observers believe could consolidate even more power in the hands of President Paul Kagame, who has ruled Rwanda since 2000.

Ingabire, born in 1968, returned from exile in the Netherlands in 2010 to challenge Kagame’s rule, only to be arrested months later on charges including “genocidal ideology.”

She was sentenced to 15 years in prison — later reduced to eight on appeal — and was released in 2018 via a presidential pardon widely seen as a response to international pressure.

Since her release, she has sought to rebuild political opposition through DALFA-Umurinzi and has openly criticised Kagame’s pursuit of a fourth term.

NGOs across the Great Lakes region are now warning that her latest arrest marks a dangerous shift toward further authoritarianism.

“She faces up to 25 years in prison,” said one regional rights advocate.

“This is not just about one woman — it’s about silencing a nation’s democratic aspirations.”

With no trial date set, and legal proceedings clouded in secrecy, the future of Rwanda’s political opposition hangs in the balance.