Hussein Radjabu should be released from the prison

The rumor abounded that MrHussein Radjabu, former member of the governing party CNDD-FDD, would be released on Thursday 30th December 2014. His followers from different corners of the country were assembled at the Mpimba central prison in order to welcome and support him.-By Lorraine JosianeManishatse

Lawyer Prosper Niyoyankana ©Iwacu

Hussein was imprisoned in April 2007 accused of compromising State security and for insulting the Head of State. He was sentenced to a thirteen-year prison term. He will soon have served eight years of his prison sentence. Hussein’s lawyer indicates that his client should be released because he has served more than the half of the sentence handed by the trial judge and he was never punished for indiscipline or internal order disturbance in the prison.

The rumor abounded that your customer Hussein Radjabu would be released on 30th December, spread in the capital of Bujumbura, who is the source of that information?
Many people have been informally informed. Even the prisoner and the prison Director were aware of it. There are officials from Justice who had informed people.

Why do you think he was not finally released?

I think that the decision has been changed because of the amount of people who had come to support him and show their enthusiasm.

Is it forbidden?

Obviously, for Radjabuwho is a political opponent of the governing party it is forbidden. The government could not accept people who come to support and boost the morale of their opponents.

Is there any other probability that he will be released?

Yes of course, I believe it. He has already achieved all necessary conditions for becoming eligible for conditional release. Article 127 of the penal code stipulates that prisoners who have served a quarter of their sentence should be released on parole. For the case of Radjabu, he has already served more than half of his sentence. In April, he will have served eight years of his sentence whereas he was sentenced to thirteen years. It is also important to mention that he has never been punished for indiscipline or disturbance of the internal order in the prison.

What do you ask for your client?

I ask for his release. I beg that the law should be applied as provided by the penal code. It is not the Presidential decree that allows a prisoner to be released. In that case the President of the Republic would abuse authority because the law doesn’t give him those prerogatives. The law is clear, it should be respected.