Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07KIGALI1069
2007-11-19 11:46:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Kigali
Cable title:  

RWANDA PRISON BEAT: PRISON POPULATION DOWN, ICTR

Tags:  KAWC PHUM PGOV RW 
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VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHLGB #1069/01 3231146
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 191146Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY KIGALI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4923
INFO RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 0165
RUEHJB/AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA 0190
RUEHDR/AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM 1006
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 1766
RUEHKI/AMEMBASSY KINSHASA 0328
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0137
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 1074
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0369
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0089
C O N F I D E N T I A L KIGALI 001069 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/01/2017
TAGS: KAWC PHUM PGOV RW
SUBJECT: RWANDA PRISON BEAT: PRISON POPULATION DOWN, ICTR
FACILITIES NEARLY FINISHED, KAREGEYA OUT

REF: KIGALI 342

Classified By: Ambassador Michael R. Arietti, reason 1.4 (B/D)

Summary
-------

C O N F I D E N T I A L KIGALI 001069

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/01/2017
TAGS: KAWC PHUM PGOV RW
SUBJECT: RWANDA PRISON BEAT: PRISON POPULATION DOWN, ICTR
FACILITIES NEARLY FINISHED, KAREGEYA OUT

REF: KIGALI 342

Classified By: Ambassador Michael R. Arietti, reason 1.4 (B/D)

Summary
--------------


1. (C) Rwanda's prison population fell to 64,000 inmates, as
the government continued its releases of persons convicted by
gacaca courts, relieving the severe overcrowding that
previously characterized the prison system. A
well-constructed Kigali transit facility, built to receive
International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) prisoners
transferred for trial in Rwanda, nears completion. Patrick
Karageya, formerly a regime insider and head of the external
intelligence service, was released from prison and returned
to his family. Rwanda now has a single "political" prisoner
still in custody. End summary.

Prison Population Continues to Fall
--------------


2. (C) Pol/econ chief spoke with International Committee for
the Red Cross (ICRC) Head of Delegation Tobias Epprecht on
November 16, regarding Rwanda's prison population. Epprecht
said that the total population of the nation's 15 central
prisons was falling as the government continued releasing
gacaca prisoners, sending home those who have previously
confessed (the majority of gacaca prisoners have confessed)
to their 1994 genocide crimes. As of October 31, 64,000
persons remained in prison, including 46,000 persons either
convicted or awaiting trial on genocide charges, and 18,000
"ordinary" prisoners. As indicated in earlier conversations,
Epprecht confirmed that the government officially closed in
September the Gisovu Prison near Kibuye. While several
hundred prisoners still remained there, no new prisoner
intakes were occurring, and all prisoners at Gisovu will be
released over the course of the next few months. Epprecht
described Gisovu as one of the more dilapidated prisons, and
added that its closure as Rwanda's overall prison population
declined was no great surprise. At the same time, he did
express some irritation with the prison service for
encouraging ICTR to continue with ongoing refurbishment of
Gisovu up to the day the closure was announced. Mid-year
Rwanda's prison population stood at 98,000, he noted, so the

population had fallen by just over a third in five months. He
expected prisoner releases to continue through the end of the
year and into 2008.

Transit Center for ICTR Prisoners Nears Completion
-------------- --------------


3. (SBU) Emboffs visited the Central "1930" Prison in
downtown Kigali November 9 for a tour of the transit center,
now under construction to receive prisoners to be transferred
from the ICTR. ICTR prisoners will be permanently housed in
Mpanga, 90 minutes south of Kigali, in a new prison
constructed with Dutch assistance. A separate wing for ICTR
detainees has been situated there (a contract to finish the
interior of this wing will be signed soon, according to
colleagues at the Dutch Embassy). Prisoners will be brought
to Kigali when their cases are called for various
proceedings, housed in the transit center there, and then
returned to Mpanga. Criminal cases in Rwanda typically are
tried intermittently, with proceedings spread out over a
number of months, rather than continuous hearings over
several days or weeks.


4. (SBU) Most of the transit facility, located just beyond
the main walls of the 1930 prison, has been completed. There
are eight individual cells: five are 10 feet by 8 feet, three
are 12 feet by 9 feet, each with a bunk, desk and chair, with
white-washed brick walls and tiled floors. There are two
corridors of toilets and showers, and a large (approximately
40 feet by 45 feet) exercise yard. The structure has a good
deal of natural light, wide hallways, and provision for the
capture of rainwater in a tank (still to be installed). A
small library/television lounge is the last structure to be
finished, and will be located in the exercise yard. The
structure appeared clean, spacious and well-constructed.


5. (SBU) Emboffs also spoke briefly with former Minister
Charles Ntakirutinka, who is housed in the VIP wing just

inside the main walls of the prison (which has separate cells
and its own small exercise yard). Formerly he shared this
facility with former President Pasteur Bizimungu, who was
released by the government in April (reftel). (Note: Both
were convicted in 2004 on charges of inciting civil
disobedience and forming a criminal enterprise, linked to
allegations of fanning ethnic tensions in their attempt to
establish a new political party. End note). Ntakirutinka
appeared to be in good health, and he joked with the prison
director who gave emboffs their tour.

Patrick Karegeya Released After Serving 18 Month Sentence
-------------- --------------


6. (C) Patrick Karegeya, formerly Rwanda Defense Forces
(RDF) spokesman, and earlier the Director of External
Intelligence at the National Security Service. completed his
18 month sentence at the Kanombe military detention facility
and was released on November 15. Karegeya, at one time very
close to President Kagame, had been convicted of
insubordination and desertion for disobeying a direct order
from Chief of Defense Staff General James Kabarebe to report
for duty. Embassy staff spoke with his attorney, who had
witnessed his release from Kanombe. The attorney noted that
several senior military officers met with Karegeya
immediately prior to his release. Karegeya then proceeded to
his home in Kigali to be reunited with his wife and children.
Another contact spoke with Karegeya at home the day
following his release. According to the contact, one week
before his release Karegeya was taken out of his cell to a
meeting with security chief Emmanuel Ndahiro and one other
official and briefed on how he was expected to conduct
himself after release (Karegeya did not disclose exactly how
he was expected to behave, said the contact).

Comment
--------------


7. (C) The continuing prison releases have begun to relieve
the severe overcrowding that characterized the 16 (now 15)
central prisons. Although estimates vary, standard prison
system capacity in Rwanda is estimated to be just over 40,000
persons, so Rwanda has some way to go before it reaches a
more normal-sized prison population. The new transit center
in Kigali has been seen and blessed by ICTR Prosecutor Hassan
Bubacar Jallow, and it appears to us to be quite adequate for
the temporary housing of prominent genocide suspects who may
one day stay there. Patrick Karegeya, who -- aside from his
conviction -- had a serious falling out with senior members
of the Rwandan military and government, will likely live the
same sort of quiet existence as former president Bizimungu.
Bizimungu has kept a very low profile since his April
release. This leaves former Minister Ntakirutinka as the
sole remaining "political" prisoner in Rwanda. End Comment.
ARIETTI