Former presidential guard head dies in prison

Former head of Rwanda's presidential guard Tom Byabagamba, who once served as President Paul Kagame's personal bodyguard, has died in jail, reports BBC News. He was arrested in 2014 along with his brother-in-law Frank Rusagara, a retired brigadier-general, for ‘spreading rumours’ and ‘tarnishing the image of the country and government’. Right groups expressed concern over their cases, framing them as a part of a pattern of government repression. Throughout his trial, Byabagamba denied the allegations against him, saying they were fabricated. Byabagamba's brother David Himbara said his family did not know the cause of death as ‘no-one was allowed to see him in all these years’. Rights groups have repeatedly accused Kagame's Government of restricting political opposition and silencing critics within Rwanda and abroad. In 2016, a military court convicted Byagamba and imprisoned him for 21 years, although this was later reduced to 15 years on appeal. Rusagara, who had also been secretary-general of the Defence Ministry, was given a 20-year sentence. Rusagara died in prison in March last year.