Innocent Bahati (age 32 years) published his poetry on YouTube and Facebook and regularly performed at poetry events in Rwanda. His poems include ‘Mfungurira’ (Open) ‘Rubebe’, which Bahati described as a satire about the church in a newspaper article; and ‘Uwenda Ngomba u Rwanda’ (The Debt I Need for Rwanda), among others.
He is still missing since his disappearance on 7 February 2021 after he reportedly went for a dinner meeting with an unknown person at a hotel in Nyanza district in the Southern Province of Rwanda. Bahati did not return to the capital, Kigali, as expected. His associates tried to reach him by phone that evening but found it was off. After two days of trying to establish his whereabouts, Bahati’s disappearance was reported to the Rwanda Investigations Bureau (RIB). The RIB spokesperson denied that the agency was holding him, stating that investigations were ongoing, and that no information would be revealed at the time. PEN International believes that his disappearance is in relation to his critical poetry.
In 2017, Bahati had similarly disappeared for several days after he posted a critical comment on Facebook, only to reappear in police custody. Although he was not charged with any offence, he was detained without trial and freed after three months.
PEN International’s statements highlight Bahati’s situation have often been followed by unsubstantiated remarks from Rwandan authorities, mostly reported by government affiliated news outlets. These have included claims of an ongoing investigation and promises to publish a full report ‘soon’ as well as claims attributed to the Rwanda Investigations Bureau (RIB) that Bahati had left Rwanda to join an armed group in Uganda. PEN believes that these responses are typical of Rwanda’s frequent use of disinformation, denial, and silence to avoid accountability.
To keep a spotlight on Bahati’s case, PEN has organised an open letter addressed to Rwandan President Paul Kagame, signed by hundreds of acclaimed writers and artists such as Burhan Sonmez, Ben Okri, Margaret Atwood, Gioconda Belli, J. M. Coetzee, Ma Thida and Salman Rushdie urging Rwandan President Kagame to intervene in the case of disappeared poet. Bahati was featured as one of the Empty Chairs at the 90th Congress of PEN International held in September 2024 in Oxford, UK.
Take Action
Please send appeals to the Government of Rwanda, urging the authorities to:
- ·Immediately make public the outcome or progress of investigations into the disappearance of Innocent Bahati, and if in the custody of the Rwandan state, disclose his whereabouts;
- Guarantee Bahati’s safety, wellbeing, and human rights, including the right to freedom of expression;
- Respect Rwanda’s constitutional guarantees on freedom of expression and to desist from arbitrary use of state power to suppress freedom of expression and silence critics; and
- Comply with Rwanda’s obligations under International Human Rights law and standards on protection of the right to freedom of expression, including artistic freedom.
Send your appeals to:
Paul Kagame
Role: President of the Republic of Rwanda Twitter: https://twitter.com/PaulKagame Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Presi... Email: [email protected]
Jeannot K. Ruhunga
Role: Secretary General of the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) Twitter: https://twitter.com/RIB_RW Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Rwand... Email: [email protected]
Publicity
PEN members are encouraged to:
· Publish articles and opinion pieces in your national or local press highlighting the case of Innocent Bahati and the state of freedom of expression in Rwanda.
· Share information about Innocent Bahati’s disappearance and your urgent appeal action on social media platforms.
Please inform PEN International of any action you take and of any responses you receive.
We encourage organising solidarity activities for Innocent Bahati and invite you to do the same. Amplify his voice and tell his story, in any other way you can. Get in touch with us if you want to learn more or take action.
