KIGALI (Reuters) - The U.N. subcommittee on torture
prevention has suspended a visit to Rwanda, citing obstructions imposed by the
government that compromised its fact-finding mission.
Rwandan authorities barred the U.N. delegation from accessing
some detention sites and made it impossible for them to conduct “private and
confidential interviews”, a statement from the U.N. body published on Friday
said.
The body said it was only the third time in 10 years it had
suspended a mission. It called on Rwanda to cooperate with the body and “abide
by its international obligations”.
The incident further mars the human rights record of the
government led by President Paul Kagame, which faces mounting criticism for
what human rights groups say are widespread abuses, a muzzling of independent
media, and suppression of political opposition.
The U.N. body said the people the group interviewed before
suspending its seven-day mission said they feared reprisals. “We must not place
the persons that have cooperated with us in danger,” it said.
The Rwandan authorities were not immediately available for a
comment, but it has denied accusations of unlawful detention and torture
documented most recently by Human Rights Watch in a report published this
month. The report said the government routinely tortured detainees with
beatings, asphyxiations, mock executions and electric shocks.
A prominent critic of Rwandan president who was barred from
running for presidency, Diane Shima Rwigara, was detained in Kigali in
September and faces charges of forgery of electoral documents and inciting
insurrection.
She said in court last week said that her family and
supporters were subjected to torture. Judges have said they will rule on her
bail request on Monday.
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