Bujumbura : Two police officers sentenced to pay fines for beating up a political party leader

It is the Ntahangwa Court in the north of the commercial city of Bujumbura that sentenced the two officers on Tuesday. Gabriel Banzawitonde, chairperson of the APDR party – the victim – said he was satisfied. The local civil society spoke of an act that showed the Burundian government’s willingness to protect every citizen’s rights.

INFO SOS Médias Burundi

The two officers were tried in flagrante delicto. They were found guilty of “assault and battery”. Each will have to pay a fine of 250,000 Burundi francs, SOS Médias Burundi learned from sources close to the case.

Facts

The facts for which the two elements of the PNB (Burundi National Police) were sentenced date back to August 8. Gabriel Banzawitonde, chairperson of the APDR party close to the government, was manhandled and beaten up by two police officers while he was returning home in the north of Bujumbura. It was during the night. He was on board a shared taxi, a practice increasingly favored with the lack of fuel which is accompanied by problems of travel.

The scene took place on the RN9 (National Road number 9), precisely on the Gikoma bridge at the entrance to the Mutakura neighborhood, Cibitoke zone in the district of Ntahangwa.

“In fact, the driver was carrying more passengers than the authorized number. Police officers took the opportunity to demand money, which Banzawitonde opposed”, say witnesses. For the chairperson of the APDR party, police officers should demand fines in accordance with the road code instead of bribes. After being beaten, up Mr. Banzawitonde was taken to a police cell in the neighboring Kinama zone before being released the next day.

The local civil society and other political party leaders called the incident a “human rights violation” and called on the intelligence services to “act”. Their mobilization resulted in the arrest of the two agents.

Satisfaction

In a message posted on its social media, the party welcomed the decision of the Ntahangwa Court and announced that its leader would not appeal.

For his part, Gérard Hakizimana, chairperson of Folucon-F, a local organization that campaigns against nepotism and favoritism in Burundi, believes that this conviction “reveals once again the will of the Burundian government to protect all citizens”.

“This is a commendable action that shows that human rights are respected in Burundi and that no one is above the law. Even police officers are punished when they use their position to violate people’s rights. This contributes greatly to strengthening respect for human rights,” he glorified in an interview with SOS Médias Burundi.

As the 2025 legislative elections approach, several incidents have already been observed in different provinces, with some activists already denouncing the non-representation of religious denominations in provincial and district commissions.