Dear friends,

This wednesday 14th August, the journalist Floriane Irangabiye has been pardoned by Burundi’s president after two years of detention. She had been sentenced in January 2023 to 10 years of prison for ‘undermining the integrity of national territory’.

Reporters without borders (RSF) has repeatedly denounced this harsh and arbitrary decision, based on spurious charges and is relieved by this release. But Floriane Irangabiye should never have been arrested and put behind bars for doing her job as a journalist. 

RSF reiterates it’s call to burundian authorities to protect press freedom and make sure that burundian journalists can do their job freely without fearing repressions. If Floriane Irangabiye’s release is a positive signal for freedom of press, RSF documented over the last months a multiplication of attacks and intimidations towards journalists, and another journalist is still in prison : Sandra Muhoza. She is facing life emprisonnement. We call for her immediate release and for all the charges against her to be dropped. 

Your support is of utmost importance in this work RSF is carrying out daily, everywhere press freedom is threatened, to let journalists do their job freely. We sincerely thank you for your generosity.