Rwandan artist Kizito Mihigo posthumously awarded Vaclav Havel Prize

Rwandan artist Kizito Mihigo on April 4, 2019 at his home in Kigali.

RFI / Pierre René-Worms

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Rwandan singer Kizito Mihigo is one of three winners this year of the Vaclav Havel Prize.

This prize rewards each year artists who oppose the dictatorship with their works.

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According to the Human Rights Foundation press release, he was first awarded for the work of his foundation for reconciliation, the Kizito Mihigo Foundation for Peace.

Kizito Mihigo was himself a survivor and had worked in particular in schools, but also in prisons, with those who were convicted of a genocide of which he was a victim.

" 

But if he received this award, it is also because of his controversial song,

(

in French).

This is the very meaning of the Vaclav Havel Prize.

According to the statement, Kizito Mihigo showed " 

 " in 2014 by playing this song in which he called for compassion for all the victims, including those of the massacres of the Rwandan Patriotic Front of President Paul Kagame.

" 

 ," recalls the Human Rights Foundation.

► To read also: Rwanda: Kizito Mihigo, "the message more important than the messenger" (2/2)

Immediately afterwards, Kizito Mihigo was arrested and sentenced to 10 years in prison for "

".

He was released after four years.

His foundation was never able to resume its activities.

Kizito Mihigo died in suspicious conditions in prison on February 17, 2020 after seeking to flee the country.

Kigali has always claimed that he committed suicide.

The 2020 Havel laureates are Chinese visual artist Badiucao (@Badiucao), Saudi political satirist Omar Abdulaziz (@ oamaz7), and the late Rwandan gospel musician and activist Kizito Mihigo (@kizitomihigo), who is the first posthumous awardee since the prize's inception in 2012. pic.twitter.com/n5gonTFQVs

  Human Rights Foundation (@HRF) September 17, 2020

He received this posthumous award at the same time as the Chinese artist Baciucao, nicknamed the Chinese Banksy until last year.

Like the famous British street artist, he too defends human rights through his works and he too did so anonymously.

But in 2019. Badiucao decides to end the mystery.

During a documentary on his life broadcast in Australia where he found refuge, Badiucao, appears in front of the camera and reveals his identity.

The choice is clear, he says: " 

 "

Before that the artist, naturalized Australian, was always masked in public.

His cartoons, which mock the Chinese Communist Party, have been widely disseminated on social networks in his country of origin.

But he soon faced censorship from Beijing.

Badiucao ended up building his reputation outside the borders of China.  

On his Twitter account, the artist, now winner of the 2020 Vaclav Havel Prize, says he is honored by this distinction.

He shares this award with the Uighurs, Tibetans, Mongols and Hong Kong people who face Chinese repression.   

Also rewarded the Saudi satirical comedian Omar Abdulaziz.

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Death of Kizito Mihigo in Rwanda: HRW calls for independent investigation

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Rwanda: Kizito Mihigo, "the message more important than the messenger" (2/2)