Burundi: Constitutional Court Decision Unseats 22 Lawmakers
Lawyers, Civil Society Allege Bias and Political Manipulation by Ruling Party
The ousting of 22 National Assembly members, following a Constitutional Court decision that they could not sit as “independents,” raises serious concerns about double standards given that other independent deputies supporting the government remain in parliament, Human Rights Watch said today. The affected parliamentarians had been elected as members of the ruling National Council for the Defense of Democracy-Forces for the Defense of Democracy (Conseil national pour la défense de la démocratie-Forces pour la défense de la démocratie, CNDD-FDD), but had left or been expelled from the party following internal divisions.
June 17, 2008 Press Release
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Burundi: Release Civilians Detained Without Charge
Stop Arbitrary Arrests, Beatings of Alleged FNL Members
Burundian police and judicial officials should immediately release the scores of persons still detained solely as suspected members of a movement long opposed to the government, Human Rights Watch said today. They should also instruct security forces to cease such arrests.
May 29, 2008 Press Release
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Burundi: Government Should Act to End Police Abuses
Climate of Impunity Contributes to Illegal Detention, Beatings and Torture
The Burundian government should take immediate steps to end the climate of impunity that facilitates illegal detention, mistreatment and torture of individuals by the police, Human Rights Watch said in a new report released today.
April 30, 2008 Press Release
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“Every Morning They Beat Me”
Police Abuses in Burundi
This 42-page report documents 21 cases of beatings and torture of civilians carried out in October 2007 by a special reserve unit known as Rapid Mobile Intervention Group (Groupement Mobile d’Intervention Rapide, GMIR) in Muramvya province. Various victims described to Human Rights Watch how they were arbitrarily arrested, beaten with clubs and batons, subjected to death threats and mock executions, and forced to pay large bribes in exchange for freedom.
HRW Index No.: ISBN: 1-56432-309-9
April 30, 2008 Report
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Burundi: Investigate Attacks on Opposition
Burundian authorities should promptly investigate grenade attacks on four prominent opposition politicians and bring those responsible to justice, Human Rights Watch said today.
The attacks on the politicians’ homes took place almost simultaneously on March 8, 2008, suggesting they were a coordinated effort to intimidate the political opposition to the ruling party, the National Council for the Defense of Democracy-Forces for the Defense of Democracy (Conseil National pour le Défense de la Démocratie-Forces pour le Défense de la Démocratie, CNDD-FDD). They followed two months of growing tension between the CNDD-FDD and opposition political parties.
March 12, 2008 Press Release
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Burundi: Suspect in Muyinga Killings Must Be Returned to Face Justice
Burundi should formally request that Tanzania extradite Col. Vital Bangirinama to ensure he comes home to face justice over the 2006 Muyinga massacre, Human Rights Watch said today. Burundi must also ensure that Bangirinama, a Burundian military officer accused of involvement in the summary execution of at least 31 civilians in Muyinga province, receives a trial in accordance with international standards and that he and any witnesses are guaranteed protection.
February 4, 2008 Press Release
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Burundi: Bring Muyinga Massacre Suspects to Trial
Government Should End Military Impunity, Show Commitment to Justice
The Burundian government should bring to trial soldiers accused of the 2006 killings of 31 civilians in Muyinga province, Human Rights Watch said today. Human Rights Watch urged the government to prosecute all military personnel implicated in the killings, regardless of rank.
September 26, 2007 Press Release
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UN: Summit on Africa Should Not Overlook Justice
United Nations Security Council leaders meeting today to discuss peace and security in Africa should not leave justice off the agenda, Human Rights Watch said. French President Nicolas Sarkozy is chairing the meeting this afternoon in New York.
September 25, 2007 Press Release
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Down to Business
The Human Rights Council’s Backlog of Work
As it enters its second year, the Council must take hold of the many situations that “require the HRC’s attention,” and take action of some sort to address them. The HRC’s efforts to address these situations will provide an important indication of its ability to fulfil the purpose for which it was created. The Council must seize this opportunity to demonstrate its relevance and responsiveness to human rights victims in these countries and beyond.
September 10, 2007 Background Briefing
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Burundi: Donors Should Press for End to Impunity
Financial Support Needed for Reforms in Justice and Healthcare
Donors meeting May 24-25 with the Burundian government should provide support for justice reform, but also urge the government to end impunity for serious human rights abuses, Human Rights Watch said today.
May 21, 2007 Press Release
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Human Rights Watch Letter to President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete of Tanzania
We write to voice concern over the expulsion of persons of Rwandan and Burundian origin from Tanzania in recent months. According to testimony received by Human Rights Watch researchers, some expelled persons were threatened, beaten, and saw their property looted by Tanzanian officials, soldiers, and police officers or by militia groups acting with the apparent compliance of government officials. The expelled persons—including some who were recognized as refugees and others who were naturalized Tanzanian citizens—were driven from their homes without any semblance of legal procedure.
May 7, 2007 Letter
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Tanzania: Expulsions Put Vulnerable People at Risk
Tanzania should immediately suspend its program to expel people of Rwandan and Burundian origin from Tanzania, and end the abuses that its security forces are committing against these people, Human Rights Watch said today in a letter to Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete.
May 7, 2007 Press Release
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Sri Lanka and Burundi Human Rights Defenders Win 2007 Martin Ennals Award
Human Rights Watch, as one of the members on the Jury of the Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders (MEA), announced today that the 2007 Laureates are:
May 4, 2007 Press Release
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Audio: Violations of the Rights of Children in Detention in Burundi
Human Rights Watch has found that children who served as soldiers in Burundi are subjected to harsh and brutal prison conditions, and treated as adults in the country's judicial system.
April 15, 2007 Audio Clip
Burundi: Children Behind Bars Suffer Abuse
Donors Should Help Implement Reforms to Protect Children
Children in Burundi who find themselves in conflict with the law face serious abuses in a criminal justice system that treats them as adults, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today.
March 15, 2007 Press Release
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Paying the Price
Violations of the Rights of Children in Detention in Burundi
This 62-page report documents the many types of human rights violations that children experience in pre-trial detention, in the investigation and prosecution of cases, and while in prison. Based on interviews with more than 100 children as well as with prosecutors and prison staff, the report details cases of physical and sexual abuse of children by other inmates, shortages of food, poor sanitary conditions, and a total lack of any organized education inside the prisons. Human Rights Watch researchers conducted onsite visits to 10 of Burundi's 11 prisons.
HRW Index No.: A1904
March 15, 2007 Report
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Burundi: Children Behind Bars Suffer Abuse
Donors Should Help Implement Reforms to Protect Children
Children in Burundi who find themselves in conflict with the law face serious abuses in a criminal justice system that treats them as adults, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today.
March 12, 2007 Press Release
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Burundi: New UN Peacebuilding Body Must Stress Human Rights
When the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission meets with representatives of the Burundian government tomorrow, this new UN body designed to promote recovery for countries after armed conflicts should emphasize the crucial need for human rights protection in Burundi, Human Rights Watch said today.
December 10, 2006 Press Release
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“We flee when we see them”
Abuses with Impunity at the National Intelligence Service in Burundi
This 33-page report, “‘We flee when we see them’: Abuses with Impunity by the Burundi National Intelligence Service,” documents five incidents of extrajudicial executions, as well as instances of torture and arbitrary detention. Some detainees were beaten with batons until they lost consciousness. In one case, a detainee has been held for over 11 months in the SNR detention facilities without charge.
October 25, 2006 Report
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Burundi: End Abuses by Intelligence Service
Prosecute Agents Implicated in Killings, Torture, and Arbitrary Detention
The government of Burundi must bring to justice members of the national intelligence service (SNR) at all levels of the chain of command responsible for serious rights abuses, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. Over the past year, SNR agents have been implicated in at least 38 extrajudicial executions and more than 200 arbitrary arrests, some involving torture.
October 24, 2006 Press Release
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