Officials of Bubanza prison asked in the afternoon of 11 November around 8 pm four journalists of Iwacu Press Group that are Christine Kamikazi, Agnès Ndirubusa, Térence Mpozenzi, Egide Harerimana and their driver Adolphe Masabarakiza to appear by surprise before the judges of Ntahangwa Court of Appeal.
Those journalists told the judges that they could not respond to their questions without the assistance of their lawyers. “Neither prisoners nor their lawyers were not informed about that appearance,” says one of the journalists’ lawyers.
This appearance was scheduled for November 18 one day after the lawyers of these journalists had lodged an appeal against the decision made on October 31 by Bubanza High Court to keep these journalists in detention.
The judges of Ntahangwa Court urged the journalists to answer to their questions saying that the trial may be scheduled long afterwards. “They told my clients that the trial could be scheduled even after one month,” says the lawyer.
Christine Kamikazi, Agnès Ndirubusa, Térence Mpozenzi, Egide Harerimana and their driver Adolphe Masabarakiza have been detained in Bubanza since 22 October.
They are accused by the Public Prosecutor of complicity in undermining internal state security. They were arrested when they went to Musigati commune of Bubanza province in western Burundi to report on clashes that erupted between armed groups and security forces.
IWACU Open Data
