Gertrude Kazoviyo
Gertrude Kazoviyo is the President of the Great Lakes Human Rights League (LDGL), a regional organization that promotes and protects human rights, headquartered in Kigali, Rwanda. It is a network of 22 civil society organizations working in the field of justice, human rights and development in Burundi, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The targeting of human rights defenders (HRDs) through the use of violence or the threat of violence has been a worrying trend, in addition to the use of repressive legislation as a means of curtailing their work. Defamation, terrorism and anti-corruption legislation have been used against members of civil society. HRDs denouncing acts of corruption and embezzlement involving public authorities, and those fighting impunity have been subjected to judicial harassment, death threats, defamation and intimidation. HRDs denouncing extrajudicial killings have been charged with support to armed bandits.
