The Rwandan gospel musician, Kizito Mihigo who was arrested last week while attempting to leave the country has died in detention after apparently committing suicide in his police cell.
A police statement on Monday claimed Mihigo who was detained at a police station in Kigali after being intercepted reportedly fleeing to neighbouring Burundi to allegedly join a Rwandan rebel group took his own life.
The Rwandan musician who became a well-connected personality, until his arrest in April 2014, for conspiracy to murder President Paul Kagame and other top leaders in the country, poisoned himself, the Spokesperson of Rwanda National Police, John Bosco Kabera said..
It is not yet clear if the musician who was apparently suffering from depression was placed on suicide watch, a monitoring process that is designed to prevent someone from taking their own life after his recent arrest at Nyaruguru, a district in southern Rwanda while attempting to cross the border into Burundi.
The police statement said that prior to the suicide, Kizito received regular visits from his family members and his lawyer.
Before his release from jail, Mihigo, 38, was convicted in February 2015 to 10 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to crimes, including conspiracy to murder President Paul Kagame and other top leaders of the country.
The singer, according to prosecutors, had also entered into an alliances with Rwanda National Congress (RNC), a group made up of Rwandan dissidents in exile.
By the time Kizito Mihigo was given presidential clemency, he was serving a 10-year jail sentence. if convicted this time, law No. 027/2019 of 19/9/2019 relating to the criminal procedure in its articles 235-236 on revocation of release on parole and its effects, dictates that the minister in charge of Justice can, upon request by the Public Prosecution, revoke release on parole if the person is sentenced for another offence, shows gross misconduct or breaches conditions imposed by the order granting release on parole.
CU/as/APA