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Alert

University professor who publishes newspaper arrested

(JED/IFEX) - On 23 February 2007, the Gikondo local court in Kigali ordered the 30-day detention of Bukavu Catholic University (CUB) professor Idesbald Byabuze, who is also director of the newspaper "Mashariki News", published in Bukavu, South-Kivu province's main city, in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

Byabuze was arrested in Kigali on 16 February by the Rwandan police, while he was teaching a course at the Private International University of Central Africa (UNILAC). According to his lawyer, who was contacted by JED, he is accused of "segregation, sectarianism and threatening national security" for publishing, on the Internet, an article entitled "Rwanda Alert", in which he severely criticised the Rwandan authorities.

On 12 February, Byabuze, a professor at the CUB, had gone to Kigali to teach lessons at UNILAC. It was as he was giving a course that police arrested him. He was first placed in detention at the Gikondo public prosecutor's office, before being taken to appear before the court.

According to Rwandan law, the offence of "segregation, sectarianism and threatening national security" falls under the jurisdiction of the High Court of Justice (the highest court of law in Rwanda). If Byabuze is found guilty, he faces up to 20 years in prison without parole or the possibility of appeal.