This archive report was first published on 8 October 2019.
On October 7, 2019, Rwandan authorities deported an American missionary, Gregg Schoof, accused of causing public disorder and being in the country illegally.
Schoof, a Baptist preacher, had been living in Rwanda since 2003 with his family and running Amazing Grace FM, a Christian radio station that was closed last year after airing a sermon deemed 'hateful against women'.
The radio station's closure was a result of a sermon by Schoof's fellow pastor, Nicolas Niyibikora, which argued that women 'are the source of all evil'. The sermon drew ire from women's organizations in the country, leading to the radio station's suspension and later, indefinite closure.
Schoof took the media regulator to court on grounds that his radio was closed illegally, but he lost the case.
On the day of his deportation, Schoof had planned to hold a press conference to share his grievances, but he was arrested outside the venue and interrogated by authorities together with his son.
Before his detention, Schoof provided a statement to reporters in which he asked if 'this government is trying to send people to hell' and accused the government of legalizing abortion and providing condoms in schools, among other criticisms.
