Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

The complainant requested information relating to human rights abuses committed by the Rwandan government. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) withheld the information citing sections 27(1)(a), (c) and (d), and sections 40(2) and 40(3A)(a). The Commissioner’s decision is that section 27 is engaged but that the public interest lies in favour of disclosure. The Commissioner requires FCDO to take the following steps to ensure compliance with the legislation. Disclose the information requested, subject to appropriate redactions under section 40(2). The public authority must take these steps within 30 calendar days of the date of this decision notice. Failure to comply may result in the Commissioner making written certification of this fact to the High Court pursuant to section 54 of the Act and may be dealt with as a contempt of court. Information Tribunal FT/EA/2024/0192 under appeal.
Keywords: Rwanda