A Reporters Sans Frontieres (Reporters Without Borders...

A Reporters Sans Frontieres (Reporters Without Borders - RSF) delegation visited Rwanda between 2 and 10 October 2001, to examine the country's press freedom situation, and in particular the new press law, passed on 28 September 2001 by parliament.
There are at least 10 journalists in Rwandan jails, all accused of participating in one way or another in the 1994 genocide. RSF feels that only two of the arrests are linked with press freedom and the prisoners' professional activities. These are Dominique Makeli and Tatiana Mukakibibi.
In 1996, 1999 and 2001, the authorities drew up a list of "first category criminals", naming those persons suspected of having been the "planners, organizers, inciters, supervisors and overviewers of the crime of genocide", as well as those who may have committed "acts of sexual torture". The list contains about 2,900 names, including 29 journalists. They all risk the death penalty.
A new law on the press was adopted by parliament on 28 September 2001. The text is to be studied by the Supreme Court before being applied by the head of state.
Local journalists have paid particular attention to three articles (88, 89 and 90) of this law.
Article 88 of the draft law (the final text voted on by parliament was not available at the time of this report's publication) states that "whoever tries to incite part of the Rwandan population by means of the press to commit genocide, even if it is not followed, is punishable with imprisonment for from 20 years to life".
Article 89 states, "whoever tries to incite part of the Rwandan population to commit genocide by means of the press ... risks the death penalty".
Numerous journalists contest the fact that such a measure should be written in the press law and not in the penal code or the law on genocide.
But the main fear is the abusive use that might be made of these articles. RSF considers in particular that this leaves the door wide open to arbitrary sentencing of critical journalists or members of the opposition.