Frank Rusagara

Frank Rusagara (1955–2025) was a Rwandan military officer and political prisoner. He was arrested and charged with inciting insurrection and tarnishing the government’s image.

Background Rusagara held multiple senior positions in the Rwanda Defense Force. These include secretary general of the Defence Ministry and military attaché in the Rwandan High Commission in the United Kingdom.

2014 Arrest and Sentence Frank Rusagara was arrested on August 18, 2014. In December 2017, the Working Group determined that their detention was arbitrary and violated international.

In November 2017, Amnesty International submitted a report to the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights which stated that "judges have failed to adequately address allegations of torture during interrogation” in the trial of Rusagara.

On December 4, 2018, Kate Barth, then Legal Director at Freedom Now, highlighted the case while testifying before the U.S. House of Representatives’ Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission. As well, Freedom Now submitted a report detailing the case to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. This report was delivered on March 19, 2020 in advance of Rwanda’s Universal Period Review conducted by the UN in 2021.

On November 4, 2019, six British legislators sent a letter to President Paul Kagame which conveyed concern over the ongoing detention of Rusagara and Byabagamba. They stated: "We commend Rwanda’s progress over the last three decades, particularly the strides it has made in creating a more inclusive society that has drawn in marginalized populations. However, we are troubled that Rwanda has imposed disproportionate sentences on individuals who are suffering from serious health issues in poor prison conditions,”.