A prominent Rwandan opposition leader and vocal critic of President Paul Kagame’s administration, Victoire Ingabire, has been arrested, the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) confirmed on Friday.

Her arrest follows her appearance in court on Thursday in Kigali, where she was questioned in connection with the ongoing trial of nine individuals accused of plotting to overthrow the government through non-violent means.

According to the RIB, Ingabire is under investigation for allegedly “creating a criminal organization and inciting the public against the leadership.”

Authorities say her case stems from a High Court directive linked to the trial of Sibomana Sylvain and others, and she will now face prosecution as part of that process.

No details were provided on when formal charges will be filed.

Ingabire, who leads the DALFA-Umurinzi party, denied any wrongdoing in court, insisting her party “has never organized, conducted, or funded” any training related to the accusations.

While acknowledging she knows some of the individuals on trial, she argued that the prosecution was attempting to draw misleading connections.

A long-standing opposition figure, Ingabire previously served eight years in prison for questioning the official narrative surrounding the 1994 genocide.

Though she was released in 2018 after Kagame commuted her sentence, she remains barred from running for public office.

Earlier this year, in March 2024, a court upheld the ban, blocking her from contesting in the presidential election, which Kagame went on to win with 99% of the vote.