WINDHOEK - The African Editors Forum has condemned in the strongest term the prison terms imposed on Burundian journalists tried and convicted simply for doing their work.

Christine Kamikazi, Agnès Ndirubusa, Egide Harerimana and Térence Mpozenzi were
apprehended by the Burundian law enforcement agencies in the middle of interviews with
citizens involved in protest action.

All that the journalists did was to ask questions, take some pictures and for that, they were
detained for months without trial, until their recent conviction.

“In the process of their unjustified arrests, police illegally confiscated material from the reporters and a female journalist Christine Kamikazi was badly assaulted by the police,” stated TAEF chairperson Jovial Rantao.
“TAEF not only strongly condemns the imprisonment of the journalists but calls for their immediate release. “Journalism is not a crime. The journalists must be released without delay. The criminals who should be in jail are the law enforcement authorities who interfered with journalists doing their work and proceeded to assault a female member of the crew,” said TAEF chairperson.