This archive report was first published on 7 October 2019.
On October 7, 2019, Rwanda authorities arrested American evangelist Gregg Schoof for holding an 'illegal meeting in a public area' in Kigali, Rwanda.
Schoof, who has worked in Rwanda since 2003, was arrested alongside his son after publicly airing his grievances over the closure of his church and radio station last year.
He was arrested minutes after arriving for a press conference he had called at a bar next to the national stadium in Kigali.
According to Modeste Mbabazi, spokesperson of Rwanda Investigative Bureau, Schoof was arrested for public disorder and handed over to them by police.
On Sunday, October 6, Schoof issued a statement calling for the press conference, which was scheduled for Monday at Frontline Bar.
He had previously released a statement on the wrongful closure of his church and bar, quipping that the Rwandan government was 'trying to send people to hell.'
When asked about his intentions, Schoof said, 'I did not come here to fight the government. I came to preach the gospel. I do not care about politics nor do I care about whom the president is or what party is in power.'
His radio station was suspended and later had its license revoked in April 2018, after a controversial sermon aired on January 29, 2018, in which a presenter referred to women as evil.
