A journalist in Burundi, Sandra Muhoza, faces the prospect of a 12-year prison sentence for sharing information in a private WhatsApp group, according to global media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF). The watchdog described the potential punishment as “beyond comprehension” and “unspeakably harsh and unfair.”
Muhoza, who has been detained for more than seven months, is accused of undermining the integrity of the national territory and ethnic aversion, charges linked to a message she posted in a private WhatsApp media group discussing government weapon distribution.
RSF reports that at a High Court hearing in Bujumbura on November 12, prosecutors requested a 12-year sentence and a fine of one million Burundian francs ($336).
RSF has called for Muhoza’s immediate release, urging the judges to acquit her. The court is currently deliberating, and a ruling is expected in December.
In a similar case, another Burundian journalist, Floriane Irangabiye, was released in August after being sentenced to 10 years for “undermining the integrity of the national territory.” Her release followed a presidential pardon from President Evariste Ndayishimiye.
Despite some improvements under Ndayishimiye, who took power in 2020, Burundi’s human rights record, particularly press freedom, remains poor. The country ranks 108th out of 180 countries in RSF’s press freedom index.
