Disagreements arise about criminal code revision recently adopted

On April 18, the National Assembly adopted a bill on the revision of the code of criminal procedure. The latter causes disputes among politicians.

“This bill is a flagrant violation of individual rights and freedom,” says Phénias Nigaba, FRODEBU party spokesman.

Phénias Nigaba: “This bill is a flagrant violation of individual rights and freedom”.

He says his party is worried about the security of the population. “Someone’s house is sacred. Nobody has the right to enter it by force especially during the night,” he says adding that security agents with bad intentions could charge someone with false evidence”.
Nigaba says this situation is likely to make it possible for thieves to break into people’s houses pretending to be police agents.

He says such a bill can only be adopted when the country is in a state of emergency. “There is no law that says that Burundi is in this situation.”
Nigaba regrets that it is one of the pillars of democracy that has just collapsed. “We are heading towards dictatorship”.

Abel Gashatsi, President of UPRONA party says this is an exceptional procedure that is done in case of terrorism. “It’s even happening in other more developed countries like France”.
He says the population worries because Burundi is emerging from a crisis. “Some people are not yet calm.”

Gashatsi says it is important that the security officers who will implement this code use professionalism in the execution of their mission. “Security forces must be characterized by professionalism in the implementation of this law”.
The new law also allows search without warrant and contains other innovations.