Insult The President, Face 7-year Jail Term, Supreme Court Rules

Reports reaching mouthpiece NG news room says that Supreme Court in Rwanda has affirmed a law that makes it a crime to insult the president....

Reports reaching mouthpiece NG news room says that Supreme Court in Rwanda has affirmed a law that makes it a crime to insult the president. 

Mouthpiece NG gathered that the law was introduced last year. 

The East African reports that Supreme Court in Rwanda has rejected a challenge to a law which says it is a crime to insult the president.

The law which means anyone insulting President Paul Kagame faces between five and seven years in prison, was kicked against by some legal practitioners. 

Lawyer Richard Mugisha had argued that the law was unconstitutional as it undermined freedom of expression. 

The court ruled that the law should remain, due to the responsibility that the office holds.

The same court ruled that a law which prohibits writing articles or drawing cartoons that humiliate MPs, ministers or other government officials should be annulled.

Mr Mugisha had also argued that articles which criminalised adultery should be scrapped. The court rejected that appeal.

Zimbabwe has a similar law called the Undermining authority of or insulting President under Section 33 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act [Chapter 9:23]. 

However, unlike the Rwandan law, the penalty for undermining the authority of the President is a fine not exceeding level six or imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year or both.