Local group advocating for prisoners’ rights NTABARIZA has condemned the continued detention of individuals who were acquitted by courts, describing the situation as “shameful and frightening.”
Jean-Marie Nshimirimana, chairman of the organization, revealed on Wednesday that more than 100 inmates remain behind bars in Mpimba Central Prison (Bujumbura Province) despite being legally cleared by judges.
“There are people who remain imprisoned even though the courts have released them,” Nshimirimana told journalists in Burundi’s economic capital Bujumbura. “In Mpimba prison alone, there are more than 100 inmates who were released by court decisions but are still being detained. We have the evidence — we hold the rulings that acquitted them and the records showing that prosecutors kept them there.”
Nshimirimana called on the government to take urgent measures, including enforcing presidential pardons and granting clemency where necessary, to address what he described as a serious violation of human rights.
Wider Concerns Over Burundi’s Justice System
The revelations come amid growing criticism of Burundi’s justice system. Last month, Martin Blaise Nyaboho, head of the Independent National Human Rights Commission (CNIDH), raised alarm after a nationwide prison inspection revealed severe irregularities, including overcrowding, lack of case files for some detainees, and prolonged detention for minor offenses.
“We encountered detainees who do not even have case files, and others imprisoned for very minor charges but already behind bars for three, four, five, or even six years,” Nyaboho said. Many of those affected are reportedly over 40 years old.
Nyaboho condemned what he termed “abusive practices” by authorities, warning against intimidation and arbitrary detention.
“There should be no more cases where someone says, ‘I will imprison you and decide alone when to release you.’ This must stop,” he said.
NTABARIZA is not the only organization raising concerns. Two months ago, ALUCHOTO, another rights group, denounced a pattern of arbitrary arrests and prolonged detention without warrants, citing cases where individuals remained in prison despite serving their sentences or receiving acquittals.
“We have seen people attacked, persecuted, and jailed without justification. Some had no active cases yet remain in prison,” said Vianney Ndayisaba, the group’s national coordinator.
Presidential Pardons Ignored?
In November 2024, President Evariste Ndayishimiye granted clemency to more than 5,400 inmates to ease chronic overcrowding. However, Nshimirimana claims some beneficiaries of these pardons remain locked up.
“The pardons he regularly grants to citizens should be effective. Yet we still find that some remain imprisoned even after being pardoned — and we know who they are. This brings dishonor to the nation,” he said.
Burundi’s prison population remains a pressing issue. As of November 2024, the country’s prisons held over 13,000 inmates — more than three times the official capacity of 4,000.
Nshimirimana warned that these practices undermine the rule of law and threaten the country’s future.
“If such a practice continues, the future cannot be promising, because we cannot make progress with a justice system that behaves in such a contradictory way,” he said.
Leave a comment