Burundi President Pardons Jailed Journalist Floriane Irangabiye

16 August 2024
The New Times (Kigali)
By Times Reporter

Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye has pardoned a journalist who was serving a 10-year prison sentence for "endangering the integrity of the national territory."

Floriane Irangabiye "benefits from total remission of sentences," read a statement from the President's Office dated August 14.

The statement said Irangabiye, who was in a Bujumbura prison, had requested for pardon.

Arrested in August 2022, Irangabiye was sentenced in January 2023 in a trial that rights groups said was unfair.

The charges against Irangabiye stemmed from her work on the diaspora-based news outlet Radio Igicaniro, which was critical of the Burundian government.

She was detained after her return to Burundi from Rwanda, where she had lived for 10 years.

Press freedom groups had demanded Irangabiye's release.

It was not clear whether Irangabiye was released immediately on Thursday.

Read the original article on New Times.

Tagged:
Copyright © 2024 The New Times. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.

AllAfrica publishes around 500 reports a day from more than 100 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.