• Human Rights in Burundi

    Human rights in Burundi in 2012 present both progress and serious concerns. For example, the number of political killings decreased in 2012 after a sharp escalation in 2011, but political space remains restricted. The Burundian government failed to address widespread impunity, especially for members of the security forces and the youth league of the ruling National Council for the Defense of Democracy-Forces for the Defense of Democracy. The report of a commission of inquiry, set up by the prosecutor general to investigate cases of extrajudicial executions and torture, acknowledged that killings had occurred, but concluded that they did not constitute extrajudicial executions.

  • © 2011 Human Rights Watch
    Burundi: Concerns About New Media Law

    Letter to President Pierre Nkurunziza

    Human Rights Watch urges President Pierre Nkurunziza not to sign the new media law adopted by the Senate on April 19, 2013, and to prevent it from being enacted in its current form. Human Rights Watch urges him instead to send it back to Parliament for amendment and ensure that the final version restores media freedoms, in line with Burundi’s national and international commitments.

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  • Burundi: Concerns About New Media Law
    Apr 25, 2013

    Letter to President Pierre Nkurunziza

    Human Rights Watch urges President Pierre Nkurunziza not to sign the new media law adopted by the Senate on April 19, 2013, and to prevent it from being enacted in its current form. Human Rights Watch urges him instead to send it back to Parliament for amendment and ensure that the final version restores media freedoms, in line with Burundi’s national and international commitments.

  • Burundi: New Law Would Muzzle Journalists
    Apr 12, 2013

    The adoption of a new media law by Burundi’s National Assembly on April 3, 2013, is an attempt to curtail free speech and independent journalism. The Senate and president should reject this version of the draft law, which would undermine Burundians’ hard-won struggle for fundamental freedoms.

  • Burundi: Universal Periodic Review Submission-Updated December 2012
    Dec 30, 2012
  • Burundi: Human Rights Recommendations for Geneva Conference
    Oct 26, 2012

    The conference in Geneva on October 29-30, 2012, bringing together the Burundian government, foreign governments, development partners, civil society organizations and other interlocutors, is an opportunity for the Burundian government and donors alike to prioritize human rights reforms and make concrete commitments to the protection of human rights.

  • Burundi: Make Human Rights a Conference Priority
    Oct 26, 2012

    The Burundian government and partners attending a conference on development in Burundi should make human rights issues a top priority. The conference in Geneva on October 29 and 30, 2012, will bring together representatives of the Burundian government, foreign governments, donor agencies, and others.

  • Burundi: Universal Periodic Review Submission July 2012
    Jul 10, 2012
  • Burundi govt should promote, not stifle, debate about roots of political violence
    May 28, 2012
  • Burundi: Verdict in Activist's Killing Fails to Deliver Justice
    May 23, 2012
    The verdict on May 22, 2012, in the trial of those accused of killing Ernest Manirumva, a Burundian anti-corruption activist, has been a missed opportunity to deliver justice, 20 Burundian and international nongovernmental organizations said today in a joint statement. The outcome was a grave disappointment to those who have campaigned for his killers to be held to account, as potentially important evidence in the case was not pursued.
  • Burundi: Effort to Block a Report About Political Killings
    May 4, 2012
    The Burundian Interior Minister ordered Human Rights Watch to cancel a news conference in the capital, Bujumbura, on May 2, 2012, that was planned to release a report on political violence in Burundi. The police also ordered Human Rights Watch to stop distribution of the report in Burundi.
  • Burundi: Escalation of Political Violence in 2011
    May 2, 2012

    Scores of people have been killed in political attacks in Burundi since the end of 2010. The killings, some by state agents and members of the ruling party, others by armed opposition groups, reflect widespread impunity, the inability of the state to protect its citizens, and an ineffective judiciary.

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