Burundi: CFWIJ Condemns The Life Imprisonment Sentence Against Anne Niyuhire
Location: Burundi
Date: February 5, 2021
Anne Niyuhire, project manager for Radio Inzamba, is among the seven journalists sentenced to life imprisonment on charges of instigating a coup in the country in May 2015. The Supreme Court of Burundi ruled against the journalists on June 23, 2020, and made the decision public on February 2, 2021. Anne was working as the director of Radio Isanganiro, which was shut down in May 2015 on allegations of inciting public violence. Anne fled to Rwanda, and the seven journalists were sentenced while they were in exile. In February 2016, the Burundi Supreme Court even called on host countries to arrest and surrender the seven journalists, including Anne Niyuhire, to Burundi’s judicial authorities. CFWIJ condemns the decision against Anne Niyuhire and the other independent journalists. We believe no journalists should suffer persecution for their reporting.
Anne Niyuhire faces charges of undermining the state authority, giving voice to rebels, and causing anarchy while she was covering the demonstrations of the failed coup against the Burundi government in May 2015. The radio station was shut down by the government in the same month. Anne Niyuhire was replaced by a new director at Radio Isanganiro, approved by the government supervisory board. The channel was only allowed to open after promising to follow government instructions on their editorial policy. The sources at the Radio Isanganiro claim there have been several interventions and programs altered after receiving calls from government members.
The Supreme Court of Burundi requested the neighboring countries to arrest and extradite the seven journalists to Burundi for their alleged participation in the May 2015 coup. This communication further proved the desperate attempts of former president Pierre Nkurunziza’s government to persecute independent journalists. The General Secretary of the International Federation of Journalists, Anthony Bellanger, condemned the decision. He said in a tweet, “On June 23, 2020, the Supreme Court of Burundi sentenced seven journalists to life imprisonment for instigating a coup against the government. We demand that this condemnation of our colleagues be lifted.”
#Burundi 🇧🇮: La Cour suprême du Burundi a condamné le 23 juin 2020 sept journalistes à des peines de prison à perpétuité pour avoir "fomenté un coup d'état contre le gouvernement". Nous exigeons la levée de cette condamnation de nos confrères et consœur.https://t.co/VGSMIATVhK
— IFJ (@IFJGlobal) March 25, 2021
The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the politically motivated and unjustified decision against Anna Niyuhire and six other journalists. We demand the Burundi Supreme Court drop the malicious charges against
The CFWIJ strongly condemns the police brutality against journalists. We demand the immediate return of the press cards seized from the security forces. Policies to intimidate journalists should be abandoned, and journalism should be practiced under the criteria of freedom of the press.
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