By Paul Nyathi|Highly acclaimed Rwandan President Paul Kagame was in Zimbabwe over the weekend smiling and laughing with his newly elected Zimbabwean counterpart Emmerson Mnangagwa with very few Zimbabweans aware that he has been holding a young women in custody for a year for challenging him at the 2017 elections.

Tuesday will mark exactly one year to date that Diane Rwigara was arrested by police in Rwanda on trumped up numerous charges her crime being challenging Kagame at the election.

Diane Rwigara was originally charged with forgery and tax evasion alongside her mother in September, 2017. A few months earlier she was prevented from running for president against current leader Paul Kagame and later accused of forging signatures of support during her application.

During her campaign, nude photos appearing to show Rwigara circulated online but she says the images were fake.

Kagame went on to win the election by a world breaking 98% landslide in August and Rwigara was soon arrested with her mother and sister. In October, prosecutors then charged the trio with attempting to incite insurrection, which means they could be looking at lengthy prison sentences.

In March, the Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA) auctioned property owned by the family for $599,040 (Rwf512 million) to contribute towards more than $5.85 million (Rwf5 billion) in tax arrears.

Diane has remained in prison against calls from various human rights organisations for her release.