ADVERTISEMENT
  • The Membership Club
  • #EndSARS Dashboard
  • PT Hausa
  • About Us
  • Advert Rates
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
Tuesday, May 24, 2022
Premium Times Nigeria
  • Home
  • Gender
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • COVID-19
    • News Reports
    • Special Reports and Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features and Interviews
    • Multimedia
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Special Reports/Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Features and Interviews
    • Multimedia
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • #EndSARS Dashboard
    • Parliament Watch
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
  • #PandoraPapers
  • AUN-PT Data Hub
  • Home
  • Gender
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • COVID-19
    • News Reports
    • Special Reports and Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features and Interviews
    • Multimedia
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Special Reports/Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Features and Interviews
    • Multimedia
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • #EndSARS Dashboard
    • Parliament Watch
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
  • #PandoraPapers
  • AUN-PT Data Hub
Premium Times Nigeria
BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad
ADVERTISEMENT
Burundi on map

Burundi on map [Photo credit: Operation World]

Burundi journalists released after one year in detention

The journalists were working for the African country's last independent media outlet, when they were arrested in October 2019.

byAgency Report
December 25, 2020
1 min read

Four journalists imprisoned for a year in Burundi on charges that rights groups condemned as baseless have been released after receiving a presidential pardon, according to a decree seen Thursday by AFP.

The journalists were working for IWACU, the isolated African country’s last independent media outlet, when they were arrested in Bubanza province in October 2019 while covering an incursion of rebels from neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Agnes Ndirubusa, Christine Kamikazi, Egide Harerimana, and Terence Mpozenzi were charged with threatening state security and sentenced in January to two and a half years in prison, a verdict upheld on appeal in June.

But they were pardoned by a decree signed Wednesday by President Evariste Ndayishimiye, who was elected in May.

IWACU’s founder and head, Antoine Kubarahe, said their release was “a great relief.”

“These four colleagues, I repeat, were guilty of nothing. They were doing their job,” he told AFP.

“I am happy they will be reunited with their families on Christmas Eve,” he added, thanking the “great outpouring of support in Burundi and around the world” for their cause.

“May their freedom open a new chapter for Burundi’s media,” he said.

The European Union’s ambassador to Burundi, Claude Bochu, tweeted that the pardon was a “relief and an excellent sign for the new year!”

The EU has imposed sanctions on Burundi since 2015, but their relationship has been warming of late.

Ndayishimiye’s election had raised hopes for a more open political environment in Burundi after 15 years of Pierre Nkurunziza, whose rule was marked by violence and brutality against dissidents. Nkurunziza died in June.

In October, 65 human rights groups issued a joint statement demanding the journalists be released.

“Their continued detention on baseless charges is a stark reminder that, despite a recent change in leadership, the Burundian government has little tolerance for independent journalism,” the group said.

On Reporters Without Borders’ annual press freedom index, Burundi ranks 160th out of 180 in the world.

(VOA)

  • WhatsApp
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print
  • Telegram
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Pocket

CITIZEN-FM AD


Support PREMIUM TIMES' journalism of integrity and credibility

Good journalism costs a lot of money. Yet only good journalism can ensure the possibility of a good society, an accountable democracy, and a transparent government.

For continued free access to the best investigative journalism in the country we ask you to consider making a modest support to this noble endeavour.

By contributing to PREMIUM TIMES, you are helping to sustain a journalism of relevance and ensuring it remains free and available to all.

Donate


TEXT AD: Why women cheat: what every Nigerian man should know







PT Mag Campaign AD

Previous Post

Pope urges help for poor at low-key Christmas Eve Mass

Next Post

Ekiti govt seeks help to apprehend fraudsters who duped traders

Agency Report

Agency Report

More News

Paul Kagame

Rwanda asks Britain to extradite suspects of 1994 genocide

May 17, 2022
Cuban flag flying

U.S. eases travel restrictions on Cuba

May 17, 2022
A petrol pump nozzle

Sri Lanka out of petrol as economic crisis deepens

May 16, 2022
McDonald's ad. [PHOTO CREDIT: McDonald's]

McDonald’s, Renault exit Russian market

May 16, 2022
Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan (Photo Credit: The National)

UAE President dies at 73

May 13, 2022
Map of Cameroon

11 dead in Cameroon plane crash

May 12, 2022
Next Post
The Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi [PHOTO CREDIT: @kfayemi]

Ekiti govt seeks help to apprehend fraudsters who duped traders

National Assembly

Amidst dwindling govt revenue, National Assembly increases its budget to N134 billion

Leave Comment

Search

AUN-PT Ad





Transport-Technology


Stanbic Ad


Access Bank Ad





Glo Ad


Subscribe to News via Email

Enter your email address and receive notifications of news by email.

Join 1,844,881 other subscribers.

Advertisement






netherland biz school Advert



Zenith Advert

ADVERTISEMENT

Our Digital Network

  • PT Hausa
  • Election Centre
  • Human Trafficking Investigation
  • Centre for Investigative Journalism
  • National Conference
  • Press Attack Tracker
  • PT Academy
  • Dubawa
  • LeaksNG
  • Campus Reporter

Resources

  • Oil & Gas Facts
  • List of Universities in Nigeria
  • LIST: Federal Unity Colleges in Nigeria
  • NYSC Orientation Camps in Nigeria
  • Nigeria’s Federal/States’ Budgets since 2005
  • Malabu Scandal Thread
  • World Cup 2018
  • Panama Papers Game
  • Our Digital Network
  • About Us
  • Resources
  • Projects
  • Data & Infographics
  • DONATE

All content is Copyrighted © 2020 The Premium Times, Nigeria

No Result
View All Result
  • #PandoraPapers
  • Gender
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Health
    • COVID-19
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Investigations
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Multimedia
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • #EndSARS Dashboard
  • Projects
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • Parliament Watch
    • AGAHRIN
  • AUN-PT Data Hub
  • Opinion
  • The Membership Club
  • Dubawa
  • DONATE

All content is Copyrighted © 2020 The Premium Times, Nigeria

Our website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.