Bujumbura : journalist Kenny Claude Nduwimana remains prison despite the expiry of appeal deadline

Bujumbura, April 30, 2025 – In violation of the Burundian Code of Criminal Procedure, journalist Kenny Claude Nduwimana remains detained despite the public prosecutor’s appeal being filed out of time. This continued detention, deemed illegal by the CNIDH in January, has renewed concerns about the independence of the Burundian justice system.

Journalist Kenny Claude Nduwimana appeared on Wednesday at Mpimba Central Prison in Bujumbura, amid fierce criticism of the legality of his detention. The prosecution filed an appeal more than a month after the 90-day deadline stipulated by the Code of Criminal Procedure. This is a clear violation of the law, denounced in January 2025 by the National Independent Human Rights Commission (CNIDH).

Sentenced to eight months in prison on August 26, 2024, Nduwimana had already served ten months of pretrial detention at the time of the verdict. The certificate of non-appeal issued on December 12, 2024, by the Bujumbura Court of Appeal indicated that no appeal had been filed within the time limit. However, the prosecution filed a late appeal on January 21, 2025.

On Wednesday, an unannounced hearing took place inside Mpimba prison, with only one of the journalist’s lawyers present. The defense highlighted multiple procedural breaches. The case was adjourned for deliberation, with a judgment expected within a month.

In January 2025, Sixte Vigny Nimuraba, then president of the CNIDH, raised the journalist’s case during a session of the National Assembly:

“He remains in Mpimba whereas he should be free. Do you think this won’t have consequences for the country? We’ll have to see,” he warned.

This same Nimuraba recently fled the country, targeted by suspicions of financial misconduct. His escape comes amid growing political tensions between institutions, heightening concerns about the use of justice for political ends.

Kenny Claude Nduwimana claims to be the target of reprisals for denouncing the theft of public land. He questions the differential treatment between him and his co-accused, former diplomat Médard Muhiza, who remains free.

“If the law is universal and all Burundians are equal before the law, why am I in prison while my co-accused is free?” he asks.

The journalist, accused of fraud and insulting his honor via social media, pleads for respect for the Constitution and judicial procedures.

“If the Burundian justice system is truly independent, I must be released,” he concludes.