A three-Judge Bench Rwandan court released a university professor and well-known opposition leader who had been imprisoned for 17 months for suspected rape.
According to the Rwanda Investigation Agency, Christopher Kayumba was detained in September 2021 after complaints were made by multiple persons, including his former student.
Kayumba, who founded the online publication “The Chronicles,” established a political party to oppose President Paul Kagame.
Soon afterwards, accusations of rape circulated against him on social media, which he denied.
He was arrested and charged with rape and rape complicity.
But a three-judge court in Kigali acquitted him of all charges on Wednesday, ruling that the evidence presented by the prosecution “is insufficient”.
” The Court finds Dr Kayumba not guilty on all the charges and orders for his immediate release,” the court ruled.
Prosecutors had requested a 10-year prison sentence.
Kayumba, who has been held without bail since 2021, went on a hunger strike to protest the “politically driven” allegations.
His lawyer stated at the time that he was weak and frail and refused to consent to medical tests when he was taken to the hospital.
According to his lawyer, had feared any samples could be used against him to connect him to the alleged rape.
