Burundian Journalist Floriane Irangabiye Released from Prison After Two Years
In a long-awaited move, Burundian journalist Floriane Irangabiye was released from prison on 16 August, after spending two years behind bars for exercising her human rights. The release comes as a welcome relief to Amnesty International, which has been advocating for her freedom.
According to Sarah Jackson, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, Irangabiye’s imprisonment was a clear violation of her human rights. “She should never have spent even a single night behind bars simply for exercising her human rights,” Jackson said. “We are happy and relieved that she has been reunited with her family after two long years in arbitrary detention.”
Irangabiye was arrested in Bujumbura on 30 August 2022, during a visit from Rwanda, where she was living. She was subsequently sentenced to ten years in prison for “undermining the integrity of the national territory” after a deeply flawed trial. The prosecution relied on comments she made during a radio show for Radio Igicaniro, an online platform in exile, in which she and other guests were critical of the Burundian government. However, no evidence was produced to show that she called for the use of violence to overthrow the government.
Despite her appeals being twice rejected by the courts, President Evariste Ndayishimiye signed a decree granting Irangabiye a full pardon on 14 August 2024. The news was made public on 15 August, and she was released from prison on the evening of 16 August.
Amnesty International is now calling on the Government of Burundi to take immediate and effective action to end the repression of civic space, particularly the use of state security charges to silence journalists and human rights defenders and activists. The organization is urging the authorities to uphold Burundi’s national and international human rights obligations and ensure the human rights of everyone in the country.
Irangabiye’s release comes as parliamentary and local elections approach in 2025. Her case highlights the need for the Burundian government to respect the rights of journalists and human rights defenders, and to create a safe and enabling environment for them to work freely.
