Former Burundian Prime Minister Alain–Guillaume Bunyoni has reportedly been granted a provisional release from prison on medical grounds after spending nearly three years in detention.
According to media reports citing sources close to his family and familiar with the case, the former general was released on Wednesday from the central prison in Gitega — Burundi’s political capital — to seek medical treatment. Bunyoni has reportedly been suffering from health problems for several months.
He was reportedly released alongside several other detainees who were also granted temporary freedom for medical reasons.
The former minister of Internal Security had been in custody since April 21, 2023, when authorities arrested him over allegations linked to an alleged plot against the government. In December 2023, a court sentenced him to life imprisonment, a verdict later upheld on appeal by Supreme Court of Burundi.
Prosecutors accused him of several serious offenses, including attempting to stage a coup against the government and threatening the life of President Évariste Ndayishimiye. Authorities also alleged that he had engaged in illicit enrichment that undermined the country’s economic stability and even accused him of threatening the head of state through alleged acts of witchcraft.
Bunyoni repeatedly rejected all the accusations during the legal proceedings. Addressing the court, he maintained that there was insufficient evidence against him and called for his acquittal.
Once one of the most powerful men in Burundi
For years, Bunyoni was regarded as one of the most influential figures in Burundian politics. A former police general and senior member of the ruling party CNDD-FDD, he held several key positions in government.
Born in 1972, Bunyoni served as Burundi’s prime minister from June 2020 until September 2022. Before that, he spent several years as minister of internal security.
His removal from office in 2022 came shortly after President Ndayishimiye warned publicly of a possible coup plot within the country’s security establishment. Soon afterward, Bunyoni came under investigation and was later arrested.
Human rights groups had previously raised concerns about Bunyoni’s detention conditions and his reportedly deteriorating health.
According to several reports, he spent extended periods in isolation in a small prison cell in Gitega, with limited contact with others — conditions that sparked concerns about his physical and mental well-being.
His family and several civil society organizations had repeatedly appealed to authorities to allow him access to proper medical treatment.
Authorities have not yet issued a detailed official statement outlining the terms of Bunyoni’s release. His provisional release follows that of journalist Sandra Muhoza earlier this month after nearly two years in detention. She had been convicted on charges including spreading rumors and inciting ethnic hatred.
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