Sahabo case : Dr. Christophe Sahabo admitted to Roi Khaled hospital after a short appearance

It was on a special request from his lawyers that Dr. Christophe Sahabo was authorized by the public prosecutor to be transferred to the Kamenge-Roi Khaled University Hospital Center (CHUK) located in the north of the commercial city of Bujumbura. The former CEO of the most prestigious clinic in Burundi “Kira Hospital” was unable to complete his hearing at the Muha Court (south of Bujumbura) on Tuesday.

INFO SOS Médias Burundi

Dr. Christophe Sahabo has only one nurse who happens to be the only person with access to his room, SOS Médias Burundi learned Tuesday evening.

The former Director General of the most prestigious clinic in Burundi “Kira Hospital” was admitted to the Kamenge University Hospital on Tuesday afternoon. He had just started a hearing that he could not complete.

“Dr. Christophe Sahabo appeared before the First Instance Court of Muha being seriously weakened by acute asthma and hypertension that he has had for a week. The Ruyigi prison had not done anything diligent to get him treated”, explained to SOS Médias Burundi one of his legal advisors.

“Seized by dizziness, fever and nausea, Dr. Sahabo was unable to hold out during his public hearing, the Court therefore suspended this hearing”, he confirmed.

Dr. Christophe Sahabo had left the central prison of Ruyigi (eastern Burundi) very early in the morning, by surprise according to some sources. But other sources believe that he was aware of his appearance.

“Yesterday (Monday), he went to talk to the prison director. He was probably informed by telephone of his hearing. But he preferred to keep quiet,” say sources at Ruyigi prison.

In 2022, Burundian President Évariste Ndayishimiye claimed to be personally involved in the Sahabo case.

The public hearing is provisionally postponed to September 17.

Experts in Burundian and international law describe his imprisonment as one of the “emblematic cases of the instrumentalization of Burundian justice”.