Kampala, August 16, 2024— The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the release of Burundian online journalist Florianne Irangabiye, who has served two years of a 10-year prison sentence, following a presidential pardon.
“Floriane Irangabiye’s imprisonment was deeply unjust, and it is a great relief that she has finally been freed after two years behind bars,” said CPJ Africa Program Coordinator Muthoki Mumo, in Nairobi. “Authorities in Burundi must now ensure that no other journalist faces imprisonment for their work and that the media can work freely, without state interference or harassment.”
Irangabiye was arrested on August 30, 2022. In January 2023 she was convicted of undermining the integrity of Burundi’s national territory, charges that stemmed from her commentary criticizing the government on Radio Igicaniro, a Rwanda-based online outlet that she co-founded. On August 14, 2024, Burundi’s President Évariste Ndayishimiye signed a decree pardoning her. A person familiar with her case, speaking on condition of anonymity due to safety concerns, told CPJ she was released from prison on Friday evening.
CPJ has documented that journalists in Burundi work amid government regulatory and national security pressures, facing arrests, physical attacks, and intimidation for their work.
This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by Committee to Protect Journalists.