Rwanda: A YouTuber critical of the government dies in prison...

Afrique

Rwanda: A YouTuber critical of the government dies in prison on the day of his release

Auteur: Aicha FALL

il y a 1 semaine 4340 Lectures 7 Commentaires | Français

Rwanda: un youtubeur critique du pouvoir décède en prison le jour de sa libération

Aimable Karasira, a former Rwandan academic who became an online critic of the Kigali government, died in prison on the day of his release, the prison administration announced Thursday, indicating that he had been hospitalized after a drug overdose.

"I last saw him on Monday as he was preparing to be released" after serving his sentence, "I learned of his death this (Thursday) morning," his lawyer Félicien Gashema told AFP, saying he was waiting for the autopsy report.

After teaching information technology at the University of Rwanda, Mr. Karasira launched a YouTube channel in 2011 in which he regularly attacked Rwandan authorities.

Shortly before his arrest in late May 2021, he had in a video accused President Paul Kagame's Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) of "fueling hatred" and questioned certain aspects of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi minority, a taboo subject in Rwanda.

Himself a survivor of the genocide, which was ended by the RPF's seizure of power, Aimable Karasira was sentenced on September 30, 2025, after more than four years of detention, to five years in prison for inciting division.

The prosecution had dropped the charges of genocide denial and justification of genocide, as well as those of illicit enrichment and money laundering.

Mr. Karasira "died in hospital," where he was "transported after ingesting a dose of medication higher than that prescribed by his doctor," the prison administration (RCS) announced in a statement, adding that it was awaiting "the medical report on the causes of death."

RCS spokesman Hillary Sengabo told local media that Mr. Karasira had "overdosed on his mental health medication shortly after being released, but while he was still on the prison premises" waiting to be picked up.

"Since he was returning home, we followed the procedure which provides for the return of his belongings, including his medication," he explained, indicating that Mr. Karasira had been taken to the hospital after falling into a "deep sleep."

Rwandan lawyer and political analyst Louis Gitinywa called for an "independent investigation", recalling several previous cases of unexplained deaths in custody.

Kizito Mihigo, a popular gospel musician and fierce critic of the government, died in February 2020 in a police cell, which at the time claimed he had committed suicide.

In 2021, Joshua Tuyishime, a rapper known as Jay Polly, died after being arrested at a party - which was prohibited during the Covid-19 lockdown - where narcotics were discovered.

Several YouTubers were arrested in 2021 for various reasons, some of whom are still in prison.

Credited with Rwanda's spectacular economic recovery since the genocide, Paul Kagame is also criticized for his repression of dissenting voices.

AFP

Auteur: Aicha FALL
Publié le: Jeudi 07 Mai 2026

Commentaires (7)

stzp il y a 1 semaine

Peu avant son arrestation, fin mai 2021, il avait dans une vidéo accusé le Front patriotique rwandais (FPR) du président Paul Kagame "d'alimenter la haine" et remis en cause certains aspects du génocide de 1994 contre la minorité tutsi bon débarras. tutsi idiot.
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Houtoutsi il y a 1 semaine

Il ne voulait pas quitter la prison
Répondre à Houtoutsi
Pffff il y a 1 semaine

Ils l’ont éliminé on sait comment ça fonctionne là bas
Répondre à Pffff
l homme il y a 1 semaine

kel gachie// il etait tres utile pour les etudes et recherche au senegal
Répondre à l homme
stzp il y a 1 semaine

le fpr t'a sauvé du génocide, t'a assure la sécurite, t'a permis de vivre libre dans ton pays, d'avoir acces a l'emploi... en retour tu fais quoi ? tu entonnes la chanson de ceux qui regrettent de ne vous avoir pas finis en 94. s'il y a quelque chose que Kagame ne supporte pas c'est la stupidité d'un tutsi.
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Lucide! il y a 1 semaine

Voici la contradiction toute affichée du sénégalais qui va te dire que Macky est un criminel et en même temps te dire que Kagamé est un héros
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senegalien il y a 1 jour

C'est eux qui l'ont tuer c'est evident c'est pratique sont devenue une traditions en afrique
Répondre à senegalien

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