On 14 April 2026, the Ngozi Court of Appeal handed down its verdict in the case of the journalist Sandra Muhoza, bringing to an end legal proceedings that had begun in 2024. She was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment for “racial hatred”, a sentence she had already served, resulting in her immediate release. The charge of undermining national territorial integrity was dropped and restrictions on leaving the country were lifted.
Arrested in April 2024 for disseminating information implicating members of the CNDD-FDD, in particular the Imbonerakure, Sandra Muhoza had been the subject of several legal proceedings and successive convictions, illustrating a case marked by numerous legal twists and turns. It further demonstrates the difficulties faced by journalists facing prosecution in Burundi.
The Sandra Muhoza case is not an isolated incident: it is part of a wider trend of judicial and police pressure against journalists in Burundi. Several similar arrests and detentions took place in 2025 and 2026, confirming a climate of media repression.
- February 2026 – Arrest of two journalists from Jimbere Magazine: Olivier Manirambona and Aline Niyonizeye were arrested in Bujumbura and held for two nights before being released.
- September 2025 – Arrest of Marius Muhirwa: A journalist with Burundi’s National Radio and Television, he was arrested in Bujumbura following several police summonses.