Rwanda’s Supreme Court has ruled upholding an already existing ban on insulting the President of the country.
Last year a law was passed making it a crime to insult the President of Rwanda. Offenders were to be jailed between five and seven years.
Critics had condemned the law claiming it could be abused by the Paul Kagame regime to silence his political opponents.
A legal challenge was filed against the law at the Supreme Court with a lawyer pushing for the reversal of the ban describing it as unconstitutional.
Lawyer Richard Mugisha argued that the law undermined freedom of expression.
But the court rejected the challenge to the ban insisting that the office of the president deserves some dignity due to the responsibility associated with it.
The court however annulled a law that prohibits writing articles or drawing cartoons perceived to be humiliating lawmaker, ministers and other government officials.
Rwanda since the 1994 genocide in which hundreds were killed in an ethnic motivated civil war has emerged as a shining star of Africa.
The pace at which the country has developed and continues to do so amazes many across the world.
President Kagame who is accused of suppressing political dissents is however credited with overseeing this rapid economic development.
He has led the country’s transformation after the 1994 genocide. Mr. Kagame recently won a general election to continue to serve another seven-year term.
Last year he defended his country’s justice system despite criticisms that his political opponents barely get fair court hearings.
Source: Africafeeds.com
