Article 82: Penalties for persons who incite others to commit offences through Media
Shall be considered as accomplices in commission of criminal offences or crimes prescribed by
the Penal law and so subject to penalties provided for those crimes, persons who, through the
media, incite authors of such crimes, if such incitement was followed by commission of an
offence or by attempt to commit an offence.
Article 83: Penalties for particular crimes committed through the press
Without prejudice to provisions of Article 82 of this Law, the following crimes committed
through the media are punishable with penalties provided for by the Criminal Law, and so
notwithstanding their suspension by the Media High Council:
1° apology for the crime of genocide and genocide ideology, crimes against humanity and war
crimes;
2° incitement to discrimination of any form;
3° contempt to the Head of State of Rwanda, the Head of a foreign State, Ambassadors and
representatives of countries and international organizations accredited to Rwanda;
4° inciting the army or the national police to insubordination;
5° publication of false information intended to undermine the moral of Rwanda Defense Forces
and the National Police and to endanger national security;
6° apology for massacres, looting, arson, theft, rape, terrorism or treason;
7° publication of those publications which endanger public law and order or public decency;
Article 84: Suspension or definitive closure of a publication
Suspension referred to under Article 83 of this Law shall be carried out by the Media High
Council through the following procedures:
1° one week for a daily publication or a publication published at least three times a week;
2° two weeks for a weekly publication;
3° one month for a bimonthly publication;
4° two months for a monthly publication;
5° one day for an audio or audiovisual media organ which operates daily.
In case of recidivism, the Media High Council may suspend the media organ for a period not
exceeding six (6) months. Where the media organ does not consider such penalties, and keeps
on committing offences referred to under Article 83 of this Law, the Media High Council may
request the relevant court to suspend it definitively. However, before suspending a media