Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye has pardoned journalist Floriane Irangabiye, who was serving a 10-year prison sentence for alleged national security offenses, according to a presidential order issued Wednesday.
Irangabiye, a talk show host for the online Igicaniro Radio, was arrested in August 2022 after traveling to Burundi from Rwanda, where she had been living in exile. She was convicted of undermining national security and collaborating with armed groups, charges her colleagues and human rights organizations consistently contested.
Speaking outside Bubanza Prison after her release Friday, Irangabiye expressed joy and gratitude. “I am very happy and have a lot to say,” she said. “August 16, 2024, will always be a special date in my life, a date that will be part of my history in one way or another.”
The journalist thanked those who advocated for her release and acknowledged the difficult conditions of her imprisonment. “This is not a place you would wish anyone to be, not even your enemies,” Irangabiye said.
Her arrest had highlighted concerns about media repression in Burundi. Reporters Without Borders says journalists in the country face intimidation and fear of attacks or detention, leading to widespread self-censorship.
Colleagues at Igicaniro Radio believe Irangabiye’s arrest was a direct consequence of her reporting. Jeremie Hatangimana, a colleague, called her release “a victory for free press” but added, “This should not have happened in the first place.”
Justine Nkurunziza, a member of the women’s peace advocacy group Inamahoro, expressed relief that Irangabiye would be reunited with her children.
While welcoming Irangabiye’s release, the Burundian rights group Ntabariza called on President Ndayishimiye to extend similar clemency to other individuals they believe have been unjustly imprisoned, including another journalist, Sandra Umuhoza.
The Voice of America has been banned from broadcasting inside Burundi since 2018, further underscoring the challenges faced by media in the country.
