Four imprisoned Burundi journalists convicted on ‘terrorism’ charges granted presidential pardon News
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Four imprisoned Burundi journalists convicted on ‘terrorism’ charges granted presidential pardon

President of Burundi Evariste Ndayishimiye Thursday pardoned  four journalists who were imprisoned for “attempting to undermine state security.”

The Head of the Information and Communications Division for the Office of the President, Willy Nyamitwe, tweeted Thursday that Ndayishimiye “has favorably responded” to a letter from journalists Agnès Ndirubusa, Christine Kamikazi, Egide Harerimana, and Térence Mpozenzi requesting a presidential pardon.

In October of last year all four journalists were working for the Iwacu Journal and reported on violent clashes between rebels and security forces. After their coverage of the conflicct they were arrested in Musigati, a town in the Bubanza province, and sentenced to two years and six months in prison. They were also each required to pay a fine of one million Burundian francs. 

The journalists’ imprisonment attracted significant attention from many human rights organizations. Following their sentencing earlier this year, Amnesty International said that it believes that the journalists were “being persecuted simply for doing their legitimate work as journalists.” One year after their arrest, 65 organizations publicly called for their release.

Before their pardon the group served 430 days in prison.

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