The Imbonerakure Militia Youth Of The Ruling CNDD-FDD Still Committing Abuses

In the report of SOS-Torture / Burundi from 30 July to 6 August 2016, we will first evoke the Bar listing request Bujumbura against four lawyers from the Attorney General at the Court of Appeal of Bujumbura. The Campaign SOS Torture / Burundi qualifies this request as an attempt to sabotage the work of defenders who seized the various regional, international and UN mechanisms not to mention the International Criminal Court (ICC) on the serious violations of human rights in Burundi . We also back on Arbitrary arrests have continued in some localities. The case of journalist Jean Bigirimana press group Iwacu is also discussed, with the odds increasingly meager living recover the more than two weeks after his abduction by individuals identified as agents of the National Intelligence Service (SNR). In addition to enforced disappearance, another journalist Burundi was attacked with knives in Kampala, Uganda where he is exiled.The Imbonerakure militia youth of the ruling CNDD-FDD still committing abuses including torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. They also conduct illegal arrest operations. The report also comes on the release of five students detained for two months to scrawl the picture of President Pierre Nkurunziza in textbooks. 

1. SOS-Torture Campaign Burundi denounces a hard power against Burundian lawyers

On 29 July 2016 the Public Prosecutor at the Bujumbura Appeals Court sent a letter to the President of the Bar of Lawyers by the Court of Appeal of Bujumbura to request the removal of four lawyers and defenders Human rights. It is : • Master Armel NIYONGERE ( President of Action by Christians for the Abolition of Torture ( ACAT- Burundi ) , initiator and coordinator of this campaign SOS-Torture / Burundi ) and is part of the legal team representing 60 families of victims of extrajudicial executions that have recently entered the International Criminal Court . • Vital NSHIMIRIMANA Master ( General Delegate of the Forum for the Strengthening of Civil Society FORSC and president of the Campaign to Stop the 3rd mandate ) • Master Dieudonné Bashirahishize ( Vice President of the East Africa Law Society, and President of Lawyers’ Collective of Victims of International rights crimes ( CAVIB ) .• Master NIGARURA Lambert (President of the Burundian Coalition for the International Criminal Court and Deputy Coordinator of the SOS-Torture Campaign Burundi ) In addition to their activities within their respective organizations, the four defenders are victims of lawsuits they filed against the State of Burundi to regional and international courts (Community Court of Justice of Africa East, International Criminal Court and African commission on Human Right and people). They also participate in the development of alternative reports to the UN troops and African mechanisms on violations of human rights. The most emblematic case and would probably cause this persecution is the recent session of the UN Committee against Torture held on 28 and 29 July 2016 in a special session to analyze the situation in Burundi. This historic session was marked by the inability of the Government of Burundi to answer questions from experts on serious violations of human rights. This approach of Bujumbura power is a work of attempted sabotage of these lawyers and human rights defenders wanting to deprive them of a lawyer following the gripes before international courts.  

2. Arbitrary arrests , abductions and enforced disappearances continue

• Journalist Jean Bigirimana Iwacu the Press Group has still not been recovered more than two weeks after his abduction . The journalist was arrested by agents of the National Intelligence Service Bugarama July 22, 2016 and taken to Muramvya ( Central Region), according to several witnesses called by the Iwacu newspaper (see report SOS-Torture Burundi No. 33) but the service national Intelligence ( SNR) and the police deny having arrested M.Bigirimana.La independent national Commission on human rights ( CNIDH ) was seized by the Iwacu newspaper announced but not having found the journalist.Jean Bigirimana’s Family and colleagues are very worried and fear that the worst has occurred , that he was executed . Journalist Jean Bigirimana , missing since July 22, 2016 Mr. Severin Ntirugayimvo , FRODEBU party official arrested July 29, 2016 • A man named Severin Ntirugayimvo was arrested dated July 29, 2016 in the town Nyabikere, Karuzi province (north-east). This man is the provincial representative of the opposition party FRODEBU. His family are worried and suggest political motives because no charges were brought against the political opponent.
• Agents of the National Intelligence Service arrested three people as of July 30, 2016 in Buyenzi area (center of Bujumbura Mairie). All were apprehended at the 25th avenue without any reason being given for their arrest. The relatives were not informed of their whereabouts and are concerned for their safety. Those arrested face a man named Dieudonne Ndayisenga.
• A man named Sadik Nahimana was arrested by police officers on July 30, 2016 at Rumonge (south) in Swahili neighborhood where he lives. This man is a bus driver and works in this southern region of the country. Witnesses indicate that police first searched his home but found nothing suspicious, before boarding M.Nahimana to the dungeon of Rumonge police. The family learned that Sadik Nahimana is accused of having transported three times fighters south of the country but is concerned for his safety because no proof of guilt was provided.
• Police raids resumed operations in the Musaga area (south of Bujumbura Mairie) dated 1 August 2016. The law enforcement official invoke be looking for armed fighters who were hiding in households. A hundred youths were arrested and gathered for hours before being released. The people of Musaga evoke constant harassment of unreasonably police. During these operations, assumed no fighter has ever been arrested and no weapons were seized.
• A man named Jean Bosco Kiyange was arrested August 2, 2016 by Imbonerakure young members of the ruling party CNDD-FDD in the town Kayogoro, Makamba province (south). The arrest took place after an illegal search-search conducted by these young people in his hotel Kayogoro. According to police, M.Kiyange is currently with the National Intelligence Service but no charges were brought against him. Witnesses indicate that it is a victim of its origin, the town Mukike, an area deemed by the government as dissident 3rd mandate of the President of Burundi. The man was released August 5, 2016 but close whistleblowers young CNDD-FDD party.Mr. Ndikumana, a teacher arrested in Gihanga• The police also arrested a man named Jean Baptiste Ndikumana dated August 2, 2016 in the town Gihanga, Bubanza province (a few kilometers west of Bujumbura). This man is a teacher who is accused by the police of collaborating with armed fighters. Relatives report that M.Ndikumana was trapped by another individual for a still unresolved pattern. Agents of the National Intelligence Service from Bujumbura arrived in Gihanga to recover M.Ndikumana who had spent the night at the police brigade. Family and friends are concerned for his safety. 3.killings, summary executions and armed attacks listed• An armed attack took place on the evening of July 31, 2016 at the 3rd cross, Gihanga commune, Bubanza province (a few kilometers north-west of Bujumbura). Witnesses report that two people were injured in the attack which targeted a freight truck.
• The body of a woman named Libérate Mpfagutunga was found dated 1 August 2016 in the Rukeco area Busiga commune, Ngozi province (north). Relatives believe she was murdered because of his political affiliation to the MSD, an opposition party whose activists are regularly persecuted.
• Seven people were injured in a grenade attack in a bar in the area Ruziba, Bujumbura province. Unknown assailants threw two grenades and one of the injured victims was a soldier.
• A decomposed body was found on the river Mubarazi on Nyabisiga hill town Muramvya (Central Region) on 5 August 2016. Eyewitnesses quoted by Radio Publique Africaine in his radio program Humura indicate that this body had was seen for the first time, tied up and attached to stones, July 28, 2016 the day after gunshots heard. The victim could not be identified but this brutal murder arouses fear of the inhabitants. Boaz Ntaconayigize journalist attacked with knives (right) 4. A journalist assaulted in exileThe journalist Boaz Ntaconayigize of Bonesha Fm radio was attacked by individuals in Kampala, Uganda where he is in exile following the persecution of journalists since the beginning of the crisis. The journalist was wounded with knives and cudgels and said he recognized two Burundians from his attackers. This is the first time a journalist is attacked Burundians in exile for several dozen of them had to flee after attacks radios for which they worked.

5. A second detainee died in Muyinga

The Campaign SOS-Torture Burundi had reported in its previous report (cf. Report No. 33) the case of a young prisoner, Elias Nishemezwe of Muyinga prison who died at the hospital Muyinga (north) in dated July 25, 2016 as having been taken to hospital late, saw that the prison had refused to grant him a release to receive appropriate care.

On 30 July 2016 a second detainee named Gervais Sinabakize died following another negligence Officer of Muyinga prison. Informed of the health of the inmate who demanded permission to seek treatment in a hospital, the management refused to agree. The detainee was taken to hospital where his condition had worsened and did not survive.

6. Students detainees released to scrawl

Five high school students Muramvya (center of the country) who were arrested for scribbling the picture of the President of Burundi in textbooks were released on 3 August 2016. However, two other students remain in detention: Perfect Iradukunda and Alexis Mugerowimana. These students were detained June 3, 2016 and charged with “insulting the Head of State” (cf. reports SOS-Torture Burundi No. 26-27), and are free after two months of detention at the prison. They however were unable to complete the school year as their peers, which is a violation of their right to education.

As of July 22, 2016, six students from Rumonge (south), held for the same reasons, were released (see SOS-Torture report Burundi No. 32).

Currently, in addition to these two students Muramvya, there are still four students Cankuzo detained in the neighboring province of Ruyigi (east of the country) for this scribble case the picture of President Pierre Nkurunziza.