BURUNDI: FOUR YEARS INTO EVARISTE NDAYISHIMIYE’S PRESIDENCY, REPRESSION OF CIVIC SPACE CONTINUES UNABATED

Four years into President Evariste Ndayishimiye’s administration, human rights defenders, activists, journalists and members of the political opposition continue to face intimidation, harassment, arbitrary arrests and detention, and unfair prosecution, Amnesty International said today, as it released a new briefing on the persistent repression of civic space in Burundi.

The briefing, ‘Burundi: Rhetoric versus reality; repression of civil society continues under President Ndayishimiye’s government’, details the severe restrictions that members of Burundian civil society have faced over the past four years. It also offers recommendations on how the situation could be improved before, during and after the upcoming parliamentary elections, which are scheduled to be held in 2025.

“The ongoing wave of repression has dashed hopes of a meaningful change in approach by the government towards civil society and of opening up space for discussion of pressing human rights issues in the country,” said Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa.

Following major protests in 2015 and an attempted coup, former President Pierre Nkurunziza’s government enacted a crackdown, which left Burundi’s once vibrant civil society a shadow of its former self. The briefing highlights how, despite hopes for a change of approach to civil society and media freedom, the fierce crackdown on past and present members of civil society – and others who question the government’s narrative on human rights – has persisted under Ndayishimiye’s government.

The ongoing wave of repression has dashed hopes of a meaningful change in approach by the government towards civil society and of opening up space for discussion of pressing human rights issues in the country

Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International's Regional Director for East and Southern Africa

After he assumed office, there were signs that President Ndayishimiye was seeking to loosen the stranglehold over civil society and the media; two human rights defenders and four journalists who had been jailed over their work were all released during the first year of his presidency.

The releases coincided with efforts to re-establish diplomatic relations with key international partners, particularly the European Union (EU) and its member states. Some observers hoped that the releases were an indication of a renewed commitment to upholding human rights. In February 2022, the EU and the Government of Burundi announced that the Burundian authorities had made commitments to improve human rights, as well as ensuring good governance and the rule of law but as the new briefing explains, any hope that further change would come was quickly extinguished.

Amnesty International carried out 30 remote interviews with people familiar with the cases cited, and also reviewed legal documents, media reporting, official speeches and statements. Amnesty International wrote to the Government of Burundi summarizing the briefing’s findings and requesting a response to specific questions, but has not received a response.

Renewed repression

Even as the human rights defenders and journalists arrested before President Ndayishimiye came to power were being released, others were being arbitrarily detained and convicted on similar charges.

In October 2020, lawyer Tony Germain Nkina was arrested, apparently on account of his previous human rights work, while former parliamentarian Fabien Banciryanino, who had spoken out on human rights violations, was also arrested. They have both since been released. Journalist Floriane Irangabiye was arrested on a visit to her family in Burundi in August 2022. After receiving a presidential pardon, she was released on 16 August 2024 having served two years of a 10-year prison term for ‘undermining the integrity of the national territory’ on account of comments made on an online radio debate. Five human rights defenders were also arrested in February 2023 and charged with rebellion, undermining internal state security and undermining the functioning of public finances. In late April, two of the group were acquitted on all charges, while the three others were found guilty of rebellion and given one-year suspended sentences. All five were released from detention.

“Spurious charges, especially those related to ‘rebellion’ and ‘threatening internal state security’, continue to be brought against human rights defenders and journalists,” said Tigere Chagutah.

In February 2023, 24 people were arrested in Gitega, the political capital, as they attended a workshop on economic inclusion facilitated by an organization focusing on HIV/AIDS. They were accused of “homosexuality” and “inciting debauchery”. In March 2022, a press conference held by Olucome and Parcem, two NGOs focusing on corruption and sustainable development respectively, was shut down by the police.

“The way these charges are being used to silence dissent is a blatant affront to human rights, especially the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly,” said Tigere Chagutah.

“With parliamentary elections scheduled for 2025, Amnesty International urges President Ndayishimiye and his government to take immediate and effective action to end repression of civic space. The Burundian authorities must urgently end arbitrary arrests, detentions and prosecutions of human rights defenders, and the human rights of all people in Burundi must be respected.”

With parliamentary elections scheduled for 2025, Amnesty International urges President Ndayishimiye and his government to take immediate and effective action to end repression of civic space.

Tigere Chagutah

Amnesty International further calls on the European Union, its member states and other international partners of Burundi not to drop their guard. The international community must continually assess Burundi’s progress on its stated commitment to improve respect for human rights and engage Burundian civil society in this process to ensure genuine accountability.