Burundi : end of a controversial detention, Sandra Muhoza regains her freedom

SOS Médias Burundi

Ngozi, April 14, 2026 — The Ngozi Court of Appeal, in Butanyerera province in the north of the small East African nation, has delivered its verdict in the case of journalist Sandra Muhoza, bringing to a close a legal process initiated in 2024 and closely followed by the media and press freedom advocates. The court sentenced her to six months in prison for “racial hatred,” a sentence she has already served, resulting in her immediate release, while acquitting her of the charge of undermining national unity.

Journalist Sandra Muhoza was sentenced this Monday by the Ngozi Court of Appeal to six months in prison for “racial hatred,” a sentence she has already served, allowing her to regain her full freedom, according to information confirmed to SOS Médias Burundi.

The court, however, acquitted her of the charge of undermining national unity, one of the most serious charges initially brought against her.

According to her lawyer, Rémy Nsabimana, all charges have now been dropped, paving the way for her unrestricted freedom.

“She has completed her sentence. All charges have been dropped,” he told SOS Médias Burundi, specifying that she can now leave the country, unlike during her period of provisional release.

This decision brings to a close, barring an appeal to the Supreme Court, a lengthy legal process marked by several twists and turns.

A controversial legal proceedings

Arrested on April 13, 2024, in Ngozi, her home district, Sandra Muhoza was prosecuted for sharing information in a WhatsApp group for journalists regarding the alleged distribution of weapons to young members of the ruling CNDD-FDD party, the Imbonerakure, who are frequently cited in allegations of abuse and intimidation against political opponents and civilians in several parts of the country.

Initially sentenced in December 2024 to 21 months in prison by the Mukaza Court of First Instance in the commercial capital, Bujumbura, the case was dismissed in June 2025 due to lack of territorial jurisdiction, before being reopened in the Ngozi court.

In January 2026, she was sentenced to four years in prison in a second proceeding for the same offenses, a decision widely criticized in media circles.

After more than 600 days in detention, her provisional release in early March 2026 was seen as a first sign of appeasement.

RSF relieved, but criticizes the procedure

In a statement published on April 13, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) expressed relief at the outcome of the case, while denouncing a procedure it considers unjustified.

“The decision handed down on April 13 by the Ngozi Court of Appeal must put an end to Sandra Muhoza’s legal ordeal, based on an empty case,” said Sadibou Marong, director of RSF’s Sub-Saharan Africa desk.

The organization believes that the journalist “should never have spent a single day in prison” for doing her job, adding that her detention was aimed at “bringing the rest of the journalistic profession into line.”

A symbol for press freedom

The Sandra Muhoza case has become emblematic of the persistent tensions between freedom of expression and the judicial system in the small East African nation.

It has sparked numerous reactions from press freedom organizations, which denounce the proceedings as a violation of journalistic practice.

One journalist still detained

To date, only one journalist remains in detention in Burundi. This is Didier Ndihokubwayo, a former journalist with Radio Maria, who has been held in Bujumbura’s central prison, known as Mpimba, since December 2024 for “illegal possession of weapons.” He was sentenced to three years in prison.