By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Controversy has trailed the death of a Rwandan musician and government critic, shortly after his release from custody, with rights groups and opposition figures calling for an independent investigation.
Aimable Karasira, a former lecturer at the University of Rwanda passed out on Wednesday from what Kigali said was a drug overdose.
Confirming the death, the Rwanda Correctional Service said Karasira was “taken to the hospital after consuming more than the recommended amount of medication prescribed by his doctor.”
Prisons spokesperson Hillary Sengabo told local media Karasira “overdosed on his mental health medication just after he had been released but was still in the prison compound awaiting pick up by his family.”
Human Rights Watch has however called Karasira’s death suspicious, saying Rwandan authorities bore the burden of proving he was not unlawfully killed.
The group said Karasira had been the victim of harassment and persecution by the authorities for years.
A genocide survivor, had had accused the Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA) of killing members of his family in the immediate aftermath of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.
The Nyanza High Court Chamber of International and Cross-Border Crimes sentenced him in September 2025 to five years imprisonment on charges of “inciting divisions”, although he had been in custody since 2021.
Karasira’s lawyer, Felicien Gashema, told AFP he was “shocked” by the death, particularly as his client had been in good spirits when he saw him on Monday, ahead of his release.
Lawyer and political analyst Louis Gitinywa called for an independent inquiry and for accountability.
He said the death was “a stain on the reputation of government.”
Human Rights Watch said several deaths of detainees and high-profile political critics in state custody had gone unexplained by Rwandan authorities.
