2025 elections : 8 opposition members arrested and jailed in Burunga province — fraud accusations used to muzzle representatives

SOS Médias Burundi

Burunga, June 12, 2025 – Eight opposition representatives or supporters were arrested on election day on June 5 in Burunga Province (southeast Burundi). Officially accused of electoral fraud, several of them claimed to want to denounce irregularities. Two have already been sentenced to heavy sentences. These arrests have been denounced as a tactic to muzzle the opposition.

Election day on June 5 turned into a nightmare for several opposition representatives in Burunga Province, southeastern Burundi. Eight people, most of them affiliated with parties opposed to the CNDD-FDD, were arrested. Two of them have already been convicted. While the authorities cite sanctions for electoral fraud, witnesses and local sources denounce a targeted operation aimed at obstructing any independent observation in this province, which is largely in favor of the ruling party.

Kayogoro district — a pastor arrested for “torn ballot papers”

Around 2 p.m., at Kibara polling station 3 (Kibara village, Bigina zone), Julias Bizimana, 57 years old, a pastor of the Pentecostal church, was arrested for, according to the authorities, tearing up ballot papers. Witnesses maintain that he had simply expressed criticism of the election process. He is currently held in the Makamba prosecutor’s cell.

Kibago district — Two representatives in the crosshairs

At 4:30 p.m., at the Kiyange 1 polling station, Gérard Ruzocimana, 27 years old, a representative of the Burundi Bwa Bose coalition, was arrested, accused of using false documents to vote in his brother’s place. He is held in Makamba.

Earlier in the day, around 11:00 a.m., at the Nyarubanga Primary School polling station (Nyarubanga village), Éric Nahimana, also a representative of Burundi Bwa Bose, was arrested for “trespassing” and using false documents. Sources indicate that he was seeking to report irregularities in the voting process. He is also held in Makamba.

Nyanza-Lac district — Three politically motivated arrests

Around 9:30 a.m., at the Mugerama district high school, Élie Nyabenda, 64 years old, was arrested for tearing up his voter registration card. He claims it was a misunderstanding, having recently returned from the DRC and having little knowledge of the rules. He was sentenced to two years in prison, despite his appeal.

At 11:00 a.m., at the Nyanza-Lac technical high school, Ismaël Hussein, 43 years old, was accused of tearing up ballots and attempting to conceal them. He is in detention.

Bururi district — A representative arrested for a simple question

At the Rwankona training center, Marc Ndarucamwo, a FRODEBU activist and representative for Burundi Bwa Bose, was arrested for simply asking why the voters were not being inked. Although acquitted in flagrante delicto proceedings, he remains unjustly detained.

Also in Bururi, a Burundi Bwa Bose activist was sentenced to two years in prison for failure to pay a 400,000 Burundi franc fine. A CNL member was sentenced to one year for failure to pay an 800,000 Burundi franc fine, imposed after a conviction for an “electoral offense.”

Rutana district — Two severe sentences for card possession

At the Matutu Primary School polling station (Kivoga zone), a voter was arrested in possession of four voter cards. She explained that they belonged to relatives. The Rutana First Instance Court sentenced her to five years in prison for obstructing voting and aggravated theft. She is held at Rutana Central prison.

On the same day, in the same center, a young man was also arrested with four voter registration cards. Tried in flagrante delicto on Friday, June 6, he admitted the charges. He was sentenced to five years of penal servitude for the same offenses.

Selective arrests

No CNDD-FDD activist has been prosecuted for similar offenses, fueling a strong sense of injustice among the families and parties involved. The arrests primarily target representatives of Burundi Bwa Bose, FRODEBU, and CNL, many of whom claim they were simply trying to ensure the transparency of the election.

A predictable climate of repression

These arrests, often denounced as arbitrary, illustrate a climate of fear and repression surrounding the June 2025 elections. Families, human rights defenders, and opposition political figures are calling for their immediate release, denouncing a flexible justice system exploited by the government.