The European Parliament has demanded the immediate and unconditional release of Rwandan opposition leader Victoire Ingabire, denouncing her ongoing trial as deeply flawed and politically motivated.
In a resolution adopted on Thursday, MEPs expressed “serious concern” over the shrinking space for political opposition in Rwanda, pointing to the arbitrary detention, harassment, and intimidation of opponents, journalists, and civil society actors.
The case of Ingabire, they stressed, exemplifies a wider pattern of repression under President Paul Kagame’s government.
Ingabire, leader of the Dalfa-Umurinzi party, was re-arrested in June 2025 on charges that include forming or joining a criminal organization, inciting public disorder, and spreading false information.
Courts have repeatedly refused to grant her bail, despite defence objections that some charges are time-barred and that her trial has been marred by irregularities.
Human rights observers say the accusations mirror earlier politically motivated cases that saw her imprisoned for eight years before her release in 2018 under presidential pardon.
MEPs also recalled that the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights previously ruled Rwanda had violated Ingabire’s rights to free expression and a fair trial, ordering reparations in 2019. Despite this, she has remained barred from contesting elections, and her current trial has fueled international criticism.
Beyond Ingabire’s case, Parliament urged Rwandan authorities to guarantee press freedom, ensure fair competition in politics, and investigate unresolved deaths and enforced disappearances of opposition figures.
Lawmakers also called on the European Commission to review EU financial assistance to public institutions implicated in arbitrary detention, torture, or unfair trials.
The resolution, adopted by an overwhelming majority, signals growing frustration within the EU over Rwanda’s human rights record. MEPs insisted that respect for fundamental freedoms must remain at the centre of political dialogue with Kigali.