Acquitted prisoners still incarcerated in Mpimba : Ntabariza sounds the alarm

SOS Médias Burundi

Bujumbura, September 4, 2025 – More than a hundred people, despite having been acquitted by the Burundian courts, remain unjustly detained in Bujumbura’s central prison, known as Mpimba. This was vigorously denounced by the Association for the Defense of Prisoners and their Families, Ntabariza, during a press conference held in Bujumbura, the commercial capital of Burundi.

According to the association’s president, Jean Marie Nshimirimana, some prisoners remain incarcerated despite written evidence of their acquittal by the courts. He questions the responsibility of prosecutors, who, according to him, refuse to enforce court decisions.

“It’s surprising to see people continue to be imprisoned even though the courts have already ruled,” he declared on Wednesday.

A serious violation of human rights

A situation which, according to Ntabariza, goes against not only the fundamental rights of prisoners, but also the country’s interests.

“These are productive people, capable of contributing to the economy. Keeping them in prison is wasting resources to support innocent people,” Mr. Nshimirimana insisted.

Challenging institutions : a call to Parliament

The association calls on the recently elected parliamentarians to use their power to challenge the Attorney General of the Republic. It also invites members of parliament to conduct visits on prisons to assess the reality on the ground.

“Perhaps it is by seeing these situations with their own eyes that they will finally ask the Minister of Justice the right questions,” added the president of Ntabariza.

A presidential pardon ignored

In addition to the acquitted detainees, Jean Marie Nshimirimana also discussed the fate of prisoners pardoned by the President of the Republic, but who have still not been released. He denounced serious dysfunctions in the implementation of presidential decisions.

“It is incomprehensible that a presidential pardon could be ignored. Worse still, some were released even though they were not even on the list of beneficiaries, to the detriment of those who were entitled to it,” he declared indignantly.

Justice put to the test of public trust

The association claims to have the complete list of prisoners concerned, the prosecutors involved, and the courts responsible for these irregularities.

“It is shameful to see a prosecutor keep a prisoner for his own interests even though he has been acquitted,” concluded Jean Marie Nshimirimana.

This case once again highlights the slowness and dysfunction of the Burundian justice system, regularly criticized for its slowness, opacity, and political interference.

Faced with these revelations, Ntabariza calls for an urgent and coordinated response from the judicial and political authorities to put an end to what it describes as “arbitrary and illegal detention.”

Until Thursday, September 4, Bujumbura’s central prison, known as Mpimba, hosted 4,376 prisoners, with a capacity of only 800.