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On Tuesday (January 31), a number of rights and media groups called on Rwanda to launch an independent and impartial investigation into the “suspicious” death of a top journalist critical of the government.
John Williams Ntwali, 44, editor of The Chronicles newspaper, was killed on January 18 when his motorcycle was hit by a speeding vehicle.
Ntwali, who was arrested multiple times during his 20-year long career as a journalist, owned the Pax TV channel on YouTube. The channel had established itself as a rare vehicle for critical reporting in Rwanda.
“The Rwandan authorities must leverage their international expertise to allow independent, impartial and effective investigations,” said 90 civil society organizations and media associations in a joint statement.
The group said, “Two weeks after the alleged accident, Rwandan authorities [had] We were unable to provide a police report, the exact location of the accident, photographic or video evidence, or detailed information about anyone else involved. “
“Nutwari’s accident report has been submitted to the prosecutor’s office. We are unable to comment further,” Rwandan police spokesman John Bosco Cabela told AFP.
The driver allegedly involved in the killing of Ntwali has been detained.
Press freedom is often criticized in Rwanda, with journalists critical of President Paul Kagame and his ruling party jailed, disappeared, or found dead in his nearly three decades in power. ing.
The East African country ranks 136th out of 180 countries on the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Press Freedom Index.
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Earlier this month, government spokeswoman Yolande Makolo said eight Rwandans had died in motorbike taxi accidents this month alone.
“Unsubstantiated allusions don’t help. Let the accident investigators do their job,” she said on Twitter.
According to a statement released by Human Rights Watch (HRW), Ntwali was regularly threatened and attacked by pro-government media for his investigative reporting.
He was one of the few journalists in Rwanda to capture the attention of journalists, commentators and opposition members, independently report on politicized trials and post videos about their prison conditions.
“Rwanda’s international partners should pressure authorities to allow such investigations and to cooperate fully,” HRW said.
“Battered by decades of repression, Rwanda’s media environment is one of the poorest in Africa,” said media rights groups.
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