Robert Mugabe
Cases- Location of case in SG report
- 2017-064-002
- Relevant SG report
- Year of the report
- 2017
- From Country
- Country Geolocation
Latitude: -1.940278
Longitude: 29.873888
- Country Geolocation (linked Cases)
- Rwanda
- From Region
- UN body that raised the case prior to the SG report
- UN Special Procedures: Thematic
- Dates of prior UN action
- 18 January 2017
- Type of record
- Named individual
- Gender
- Male
- Was the victim a foreign national?
- No
- Was the victim a minor?
- No
- Individual's/organization's activity
journalist and human rights defender
- Type of rights defended
- Unclear in SG Report
- Was the victim a civil servant or member of the security forces or of the judiciary?
- No
- Reported trigger of reprisal
In November 2015, Mr. Mugabe submitted a report to the universal periodic review on Rwanda.In September 2016, he attended the thirty-third session of the Human Rights Council and held meetings with OHCHR.
- Engagement with UN body
- OHCHR: OHCHR - General
- UN Human Rights Council: UPR
- Dates of engagement
- November 2015; September 2016
- Type of attempted engagement
- Participation in meeting on UN premises
- Submission of information to UN
- Dates of mentioned reprisals
- October 2016; 23 December 2016
- Reprisal information
acts of intimidation and reprisals, including attempted kidnapping and intense daily interrogation
In October 2016, once back in Rwanda, he was subject to intimidation and harassment by plain-clothed armed men on a number of occasions, including attempted kidnapping. When he filed a complaint for the attempted kidnapping, the police instead opened an investigation against him on charges of treason and spreading rumours with the intent to undermine the Government. On 23 December 2016 the police reportedly started daily intense interrogations of Mr. Mugabe
- Types of reprisals suffered
- Physical attack: Attempted kidnapping
- Charge/Investigation/Prosecution: Charge/Investigation/Prosecution - General
- Threats/Intimidations (incl. "fear of reprisal")
- Alleged/likely perpetrators
- State actors
- Was the reprisal based on new legislation?
- No
- Does the report make general comment about country’s environment for engagement with UN?
- No
- Further case development
At the time of the finalization of the report, no response had been received from the Government.
- Is the country cited for a "pattern of reprisal" in the context of this case?
- No
- Is a pattern of reprisals mentioned otherwise in the context of this case?
- No
- Does the report cite "self-censorship" as an issue in the context of this case?
- No
- How many times has the case been followed up in subsequent SG reports?
- 1
- In which SG report was this case followed up on? 0
- 2018
- Follow up information provided in SG report 0
47.In the 2017 report of the Secretary-General it was noted that two special procedures mandate holders sent an urgent appeal to the Government (RWA 1/2017) on 18 January 2017, in response to allegations of kidnapping and intense daily interrogationagainst journalist and human rights defender Mr.Robert Mugabe (see A/HRC/36/31, para. 48 and Annex, paras. 62 and 65) for his cooperation with the universal periodic review and the Human Rights Council (A/HRC/35/44). 48.On 30 May 2018, Mr. David Kaye, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, wrote to the Government in response to allegations that while Mr. Mugabe wastravellingto Geneva to attend the 2017 United Nations Internet Governance Forum on 15December 2017,hewas stopped by the authorities at the airport in Kigali and barred from leaving the country (RWA 1/2018). He was reportedly detained and questioned for several hours on accusations of “working against the state, treason, and spreading rumours to undermine the state...” based upon his critical reporting published online.The police searched his bags and phone and questioned him about his activities related to the Human Rights Council.He was released after four hours of questioning to return home.On 16December 2017 he was reportedly summoned again to the police, and criminal investigations from January 2017 were reopened against him, which could lead to formal charges.If convicted for treason, Mr. Mugabe could face 25 years in prison. At thetime of writingthe Government had not respondedto the communications by the special procedures of 18 January 2017 and 30 May 2018.
- Followup Trends 0
- Deterioration/further reprisals
- Did the government respond? 0
- No
- Was this case followed up by a UN body? 0
- UN Special Procedures: Thematic