A Rwandan transgender fashion designer was arrested on charges of counterfeiting after he claimed his passport had been altered to reflect his gender, police said on Friday.
Moses Turahirwa, 35, was arrested on Thursday after sharing a photo of his passport on Instagram, which stated his gender as female.
“Finally officially female on my ID card. How funny. Thank you Kagame,” wrote Turahirwa, who identifies as female on social media.
“Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) subpoenaed Moses Turahirwa to clarify the origin of the false passport after the Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration confirmed that it had not issued that passport,” RIB spokesman Thierry Murangira told reporters.
“Drug use was added to the crimes of which Turahirwa is accused after forensic investigations in Rwanda confirmed he used illegal marijuana,” Murangira added.
Also, read; Police Arrest Doctor for Attempting Abortion On Teenager In Meknes, Morocco
The investigation will continue during the period of temporary detention.”
Although Rwanda was among the few African countries to sign the United Nations Joint Declaration condemning violence against LGBT people in 2011, the community continues to struggle with abuse and stigma.
Turahirwa, a former model and founder of bespoke fashion house Kigali Moshions, resigned as her company’s CEO in November after protesting the posting of nude photos on her social media accounts.
In January, the designer, who creates clothes for Kagame and his family, faced severe criticism in Rwanda after a video allegedly showing two men having sex was leaked.
In contrast to the neighboring countries of Tanzania, Uganda and Burundi, homosexuality is not forbidden in Rwanda.
