Rwandan YouTube player arrested for embarrassing government officials | Stories

Dieudonne Niyonsenga, whose YouTube channel has more than 15 million views, has been sentenced to seven years in prison.

In Rwanda, a man who used his YouTube channel to criticize the government has been sentenced to seven years in prison by a court in Kigali, amid growing unrest in East Africa.

Dieudonne Niyonsenga, whose YouTube channel Ishema TV garnered more than 15 million views, was found guilty on Thursday of four counts of fraud, seduction, and “humiliation” by government officials.

“We are appealing the decision against Niyonsenga soon. It is not fair,” his lawyer Gatera Gashabana said on Friday.

The court found that Niyonsenga was guilty of willful misconduct and that the fine included a fine of R5 million ($ 4,900).

“As a result of the tragic consequences that have befallen the Rwandan people, the court has ordered that Dieudonne Niyonsenga be immediately arrested and taken to prison,” the judge said in a statement.

Niyonsenga, better known as the YouTube persona Cyuma, meaning “Iron”, was known for discussing human rights abuses on his channel.

Shortly after the verdict, the YouTube star said police surrounded his home. Police and prison officials could not be reached for comment.

His arrest comes just weeks after another well-known critic and YouTube fan was sent to jail.

Last month, Rwandan government officials arrested six people including a journalist and members of the opposition who are accused of spreading rumors that they want to cause riots.

Theoneste Nsengimana, who runs Umubavu TV – a YouTube channel that often broadcasts anti-government issues, was among those arrested.

Niyonsenga was arrested earlier in April 2020, after airing a series of videos condemning soldiers harassing street dwellers during the forced closure of coronavirus.

Shortly afterwards, he was convicted of violating the prison law and posing as a journalist and sent to prison.

He was released and 11 months later he was released but the prosecution appealed to the high court.

The crackdown on YouTube producers has caused a stir in Rwanda, where independent media has been banned and some free forms are controlled by the government.

Opponents say the government of President Paul Kagame is violating human rights even though it has been assisted by Western organizations to restore order in the coming years of assassination, as well as to promote economic growth.

In March, Human Rights Watch declared a riot. Kagame has denied the allegations.