A driver whose car struck and killed a Rwandan investigative journalist has pleaded guilty and been fined by a court.
Moise Emmanuel Bagirishya was fined $920 for manslaughter three weeks after the accident that killed John William Ntwali.
Ntwali was a passenger on a motorcycle when the accident occurred on January 18.
He was investigating and denouncing human rights violations in Rwanda and activists had called for an investigation into his death.
The motorist who pleaded guilty will also pay $500 for the injuries to the motorcyclist who was transporting Ntwali.
RWANDAN GENOCIDE SURVIVOR REPORTS ‘THE MOST HORRIBLE GENOCIDE OF OUR AGE’: ‘HOW AM I GOING TO DIE?’
Rwandan driver fined $920 after pleading guilty to manslaughter after hitting a Rwandan investigative journalist with his car. He will also have to pay $500 for injuries to the motorcyclist. (FoxNews)
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During the trial, the prosecution had asked the court to jail the motorist for two years and fine him $1,800 after he pleaded guilty and apologized.
The law in Rwanda allows 30 days to appeal, but Ntwali’s family has told local media that they will not appeal.
Dozens of African civil society groups and press associations on Tuesday called for an independent inquiry into Ntwali’s death, saying the official explanation lacked sufficient evidence.
“The Rwandan authorities have not provided a police report, the exact location of the alleged accident, any photographic or video evidence or detailed information about the others involved in the accident,” the statement said.
Ntwali had previously expressed fear for his life, telling the human rights organization Human Rights Watch that he had received threatening phone calls and strangers had visited his home. Ntwali had been described as Rwanda’s last independent journalist and praised for his courageous reporting on human rights violations.
