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Former head of Rwanda’s presidential guard dies in prison, his brother says
Rights groups said his case reflected a wider crackdown on critics after a military court sentenced him to 15 years on appeal.
- On Tuesday, Colonel Tom Byabagamba, former commander of President Paul Kagame's elite presidential guard, died in prison after serving over a dozen years, his brother David Himbara announced.
- Authorities detained Byabagamba in August 2014 for inciting insurrection and tarnishing the government's image; a 2019 appeal reduced his initial 21-year sentence to 15 years.
- Human Rights Watch criticized the case as a "flawed trial" marked by torture allegations, while Himbara stated that "no-one was allowed to see him in all these years."
- Rwandan authorities provided no immediate comment, as the subject remains taboo; the government denies targeting opponents despite persistent criticism of its authoritarian stance.
- Byabagamba's death follows his brother-in-law Frank Rusagara's death in prison last year, as many senior army officers have previously fallen out with President Paul Kagame.
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My Mother LodeReposted by 
The Seattle Times
The Seattle TimesFormer head of Rwanda’s presidential guard dies in prison, his brother says
KIGALI, Rwanda (AP) — Tom Byabagamba, a former commander of President Paul Kagame’s elite presidential guard who later was convicted of inciting insurrection, has died in prison after spending a dozen years behind bars, his brother said. He was 59. Byabagamba, who held the rank of colonel before he was stripped of it, was the...
Associated Press News+5 Reposted by 5 other sources
Former head of Rwanda's presidential guard dies in prison, his brother says
Tom Byabagamba, a former commander of President Paul Kagame’s elite presidential guard, has died in prison after 12 years behind bars.
·New York, United States
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The StandardReposted by 
Modern Ghana
Modern GhanaFormer Rwanda security chief dies in prison: family sources
Byabagamba was arrested in 2014 and sentenced in 2016 to 21 years in prison for "incitement to insurrection" and activities aimed at "tarnishing the image of the country or the government".
·Nairobi, Kenya
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Total News Sources11
Leaning Left5Leaning Right2Center3Last UpdatedBias Distribution50% Left
Bias Distribution
- 50% of the sources lean Left
50% Left
L 50%
C 30%
R 20%
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