By Our
Correspondent, BUJUMBURA Burundi
A court
in Burundi on Thursday sentenced four journalists to two and a half years in
prison after they were convicted on charges of trying to undermine state
security.
Four journalists of Burundi's
independent media Iwacu Press Group and their driver appear at the High Court
in Bubanza, western Burundi, Dec. 30, 2019, accused of complicity in
endangering the internal security of the state.
The journalists are with Iwacu, one of the few remaining private media organizations in the East African nation.
One of their lawyers, Martin Ndayisaba, told
journalists they will appeal the decision of the court in Bubanza Province.
They have 30 days to do so.
They were arrested in October last year in Musigati
district in the western province while covering the aftermath of clashes
between the army and a rebel group from South Kivu in neighboring Congo.
President Pierre Nkurunziza’s government has
cracked down on the media ahead of this year’s election in May. Several local
radio stations and media houses have been closed and many journalists have fled
the country.
The government suspended broadcasts in Burundi
by Voice of America and the BBC.
Jean Bigirimana, a journalist with Iwacu, has been missing since July 2016.
Burundi has been plagued by political violence
since 2015, when Nkurunziza announced he would seek a disputed third term. He
won re-election despite widespread protests, and the United Nations says more
than 1,200 people have been killed in the ensuing crackdown.
Nkurunziza has said he will not run again and
the ruling party recently named an army general as its candidate for the
election.
Amnesty International said the conviction and
jail sentences for the journalists “on trumped-up charges marks a sad day for
the right to freedom of expression and press freedom in Burundi,” said Seif
Magango, Amnesty International’s deputy director for East Africa.
“The authorities must quash the conviction and
sentences, and the four journalists must be immediately and unconditionally
released. … The Burundian authorities must ensure that every journalist in the
country can work freely, without fear of arrest, harassment or intimidation,
particularly ahead of upcoming elections.”
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