Ex-head of Rwanda's presidential guard dies in jail 12 years after his arrest
His brother tells the BBC his family have not been allowed to see him "in all these years".
The former commander of Rwanda's presidential guard, Tom Byabagamba, has passed away in prison at the age of 59, twelve years after his initial arrest. Byabagamba, who previously served as President Paul Kagame's personal bodyguard, consistently maintained his innocence, asserting that the accusations against him were fabricated.
Byabagamba was apprehended in 2014 alongside his brother-in-law, retired Brigadier-General Frank Rusagara. The charges against them included "spreading rumors" and "tarnishing the image of the country and government." Human rights organizations voiced apprehension regarding their cases, characterizing them as indicative of a broader pattern of governmental repression.
David Himbara, Byabagamba's brother, informed the BBC Great Lakes service that his family remains unaware of the cause of death, as "no-one was allowed to see him in all these years."
Kagame's government has faced repeated accusations from rights groups of stifling political dissent and silencing critics both within Rwanda and internationally.
In 2016, a military court found Byabagamba guilty and sentenced him to 21 years in prison, a term later reduced to 15 years upon appeal. Rusagara, who also held the position of secretary-general of the defense ministry, received a 20-year sentence.
Rusagara died in prison in March of the previous year. At that time, Human Rights Watch (HRW) referred to his passing as the "lonely death of a general," noting that his family had not heard from him since 2014, just days before his arrest. Authorities informed Rusagara's family that he had been battling cancer, according to the rights group.
HRW described the conviction of both men as the result of a "flawed trial" marred by "serious allegations of torture and witness tampering." The advocacy group Freedom Now had also previously condemned their detention as "arbitrary" and a violation of "international law."
Byabagamba is survived by his wife and two sons.