SOS Médias Burundi

Gitega, April 22, 2025 – In a case that is shaking the Burundian judicial system, two magistrates working in Gitega, in the center of the country, were arrested last week by the authorities for alleged corruption. Jean Marie Vianney Ahishakiye, a judge at the local Court, and Alexis Nimbona, a judge at the First Instance Court, were arrested by agents of the National Intelligence Service (SNR). After several days of pretrial detention, they were transferred to Gitega Central Prison in the political capital, where they are currently incarcerated. This arrest comes amid an intensified fight against corruption in the judicial sector, but it also raises concerns about the independence and integrity of the Burundian judicial system.

Jean Marie Vianney Ahishakiye, a judge at the Gitega local Court, and Alexis Nimbona, a judge at the First Instance Court of the same province, were arrested on April 9 and 11, 2025, respectively, by agents of the National Intelligence Service (SNR). According to witnesses, the two men were forcibly taken to the cells of the provincial police station in Gitega.

After nearly a week of pretrial detention, the two magistrates were transferred on April 18, 2025, to the Gitega Central Prison, where they are currently incarcerated. They are accused of receiving a bribe of 1,200,000 Burundi francs from defendants.

This arrest is not an isolated case. In 2024, several judges and magistrates from various jurisdictions in Gitega, including the Court of Appeal, the General Prosecutor’s Office, and the First Instance Court, had already been arrested and imprisoned for similar offenses. These cases reveal an intensification of efforts by the Burundian authorities to combat corruption within the judicial system, but they also raise questions about the depth and effectiveness of these actions. Indeed, while the arrests raise some hope for reform, the issue of the independence of the Burundian judiciary remains a concern, in an environment where political control over institutions is often blatant.

Judicial authorities have not yet publicly responded to these arrests. The future of the concerned magistrates remains uncertain, and their cases could have serious consequences for their professional careers, including legal proceedings and disciplinary sanctions.

The Burundian judicial system is primarily composed of courts of first instance, courts of appeal, and the Supreme Court, the country’s highest judicial body. Corruption has long been a major problem in this sector, undermining public confidence in the fairness of judgments and decisions. The country, despite being a signatory to international anti-corruption conventions, faces significant challenges in implementing concrete and effective reforms in the judicial sector. Citizens often encounter corrupt practices, particularly in the high and lower courts, where bribes are regularly demanded to expedite or influence judicial proceedings.

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The public square in Gitega, Burundi’s political capital, where the two magistrates are detained (SOS Médias Burundi)