The Committee to Protect Journalists and other human rights groups today called on European Union High Representative Josep Borrell and EU foreign ministers in a letter to uphold benchmarks set in 2016 when the EU suspended direct financial support to the Burundian government over its failure to protect human rights, democratic principles, and the rule of law in the wake of the country’s 2015 political crisis.
These benchmarks, according to the Council of the European Union’s 2016 decision, included an end to the intimidation of journalists, the prosecution of perpetrators of violence against journalists, and the assurance that journalists are able to work in complete safety in the country.
The EU must now use its leverage to seek guarantees from the authorities that all journalists can operate freely and safely in Burundi, and call for effective investigations into the 2016 disappearance of Iwacu journalist Jean Bigirimana as well as other serious abuses of press freedom, the letter said.
Read the full letter here.
This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Tom Gibson/CPJ EU Representative.