Armel Niyongere : Elected as member of OMCT General Assembly

Armel Niyongere, Burundi human right defender elected as member of OMCT Assembly

World Organization Against Torture –OMCT General Assembly held on 26 November in Geneva, Switzerland, elected new members including Armel Niyongere, a Burundian human rights defender. He was chosen for his commitment to fighting against impunity and torture in Burundi.

The Chairman of the Christian Action for the Abolition of Torture-ACAT Burundi and the Citizen’s campaign SOS Torture says that OMCT wanted to promote dynamic human rights defenders from different parts of the world.

On 26 October the Ministry of Home Affairs and Patriotic Education issued a ministerial ordinance No. 530/1960 suspending temporarily some non-profit associations including SOS-Torture / Burundi. On 19 October 2016, the same Ministry issued another ordinance No. 530/1922, announcing a definitive striking off of five other NGOs, including the Christian Action for the Abolition of Torture-ACAT Burundi.

Niyongere considers that the fact that he is elected as a member of the Assembly of an international organization while the Government of Burundi has suspended his organization, shows that the illegal measures taken by the Burundian Government are not respected by international institutions which advocate the respect for human rights.

Niyongere says his election as a member OMCT Assembly is a great opportunity for Burundi human rights defenders and independent civil society organizations. “We will have an opportunity to spread our activities around the world and our reports on the violation of human rights will finally be known everywhere,” he says.