The Supreme Court in Rwanda has rejected a challenge to a law which says insulting the Head of State is criminal.
The law, introduced last year, implies that anyone insulting Rwanda’s President, Paul Kagame faces between five and seven years in prison and/or a fine of Rwf7 million.
Kigali-based lawyer Richard Mugisha had challenged that the law was unconstitutional and undermined freedom of expression.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday 24 April 2019, upheld the law “due to the responsibility the office holds.”
The court also ruled that a law which prohibits writing articles or drawing cartoons that humiliate MPs, ministers or other government officials should be annulled.
The same court rejected Mugisha’s appeal to have articles that criminalize adultery scrapped.