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Burundi : Mukaza Court of Appeal declares its jurisdiction is lacking – Sandra Muhoza remains detained despite the expiry of her conviction

SOS Médias Burundi

Bujumbura, July 1, 2025 — SOS Médias Burundi has learned that the Mukaza Court of Appeal, located in the commercial city of Bujumbura, issued its ruling on June 13, declaring it incompetent to try journalist Sandra Muhoza. According to the court, the case falls under the jurisdiction of Ngozi, in northern Burundi, where Sandra Muhoza and her family reside. This decision effectively overturns the initial conviction and the arrest warrant issued against her. However, despite this judicial development, the journalist remains detained in Mpimba Central Prison, also in Bujumbura, a situation strongly condemned by Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

On June 13, the Mukaza Court of Appeal ruled that it lacked territorial jurisdiction to try the case. The alleged offense was allegedly committed in Ngozi, in the north of the country, and not in the commercial capital.

According to information obtained by SOS Médias Burundi, Sandra Muhoza was officially notified of this decision the same day. Legally, this lack of jurisdiction automatically overturns the conviction and the arrest warrant that justified her detention.

Yet, more than two weeks after the decision, Sandra Muhoza remains imprisoned in Mpimba. « She is still held on the basis of an arrest warrant that has become illegal, » denounced her lawyer, Prosper Niyoyankana. According to him, « the courts are shirking their duty to judge. »

RSF : « Free Sandra Muhoza! »

« Not only should she never have been imprisoned, but she should not spend another second there! The continued detention of the La Nova Burundi journalist is now based on judgments and documents that have been invalidated by the courts, » slammed Sadibou Marong, director of RSF’s Sub-Saharan Africa desk.

« It is up to the authorities to ensure that the consequences of this decision are implemented without delay. Free Sandra Muhoza! » he insisted.

This judicial decision came seven weeks after the reopening of the proceedings, ordered on April 26, when the territorial jurisdiction of the first judge was already seriously contested.

A trial marred by irregularities

In December 2024, Sandra Muhoza was sentenced to 21 months in prison : 18 months for « undermining the integrity of the national territory » and three months for « racial hatred, » after sharing information in a WhatsApp group about the alleged distribution of weapons by the Burundian government.

Her trial was marred by several postponements and new charges filed late, deemed « baseless » by her lawyers. These accusations referred in particular to exchanges with an activist and Burundian media outlets in exile.

Faced with what RSF considers to be arbitrary detention, the organization referred the matter to the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa at the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) in March 2025.

Burundi is ranked 108th out of 180 countries in RSF’s 2024 World Press Freedom Index.

Sandra Muhoza is a journalist with La Nova Burundi, an independent Burundian media outlet. She was arrested in late 2024 after sharing sensitive information on WhatsApp about an alleged government arms distribution.

Known for her reporting on governance, security, and human rights issues, Sandra Muhoza is now considered by many press freedom advocates to symbolize the pressure and intimidation against journalists in Burundi.

Since her incarceration in Mpimba Central Prison, in the commercial city of Bujumbura, several organizations, including RSF, have demanded her immediate release.