Burundi court rejects imprisoned Iwacu journalists’ appeal News
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Burundi court rejects imprisoned Iwacu journalists’ appeal

A Burundi court on Friday rejected the appeal of four journalists convicted of undermining state security.

In October 2019 Burundi police arrested four Iwacu journalists: Christine Kamikazi, Agnès Ndirubusa, Egide Harerimana and Térence Mpozenzi. Each journalist is facing a fine of $530 and two years and six months imprisonment. Their driver, arrested with them, was acquitted.

Further, the journalists’ employer, Iwacu, reported that the journalists were arrested for violating article 16 of Burundi’s penal code. Essentially, they did everything in their power to undermine state security, yet the crime was not realized for reasons outside of their control.

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, the journalists were reporting on clashes between Burundi’s security forces and armed men crossing into Burundi from neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo at the time of their arrest.

In its statement Friday, Iwacu declared that they “will continue to demand justice and take the case to the Supreme Court.”

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