affected when Lake Tanganyika flooded, released in October after serving a one-year destroying or damaging their homes. prison sentence. RIGHT TO HEALTH HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS The government resumed cooperation with The conviction in their absence of five human the WHO, whose new representative arrived rights defenders and seven journalists who in the country in April, but the Covid-19 had been involved in the 2015 protests was pandemic response remained insufficient. In announced in February, although the July, the government authorized the World Supreme Court ruled on the case in June Bank to provide vaccines, but refused to sign 2020. They had been sentenced to life any commitments to manage potential side imprisonment on charges of undermining effects or offer compensation for them. The state authority, murder and damage to first shipment of vaccines arrived in October. property in connection to the 2015 attempted Covid-19 cases resurged in the second half coup. They had no legal representation 1 of the year, with doctors reporting that official during the trial. figures were far below the actual numbers. In Nestor Nibitanga, former regional observer September, weekday parties and ceremonies with the Association for the Protection of of a social nature were banned. The Human Rights and Detained Persons authorities introduced a health pass in (APRODH), was released from prison in April, November for travellers from the commercial after receiving a presidential pardon having capital, Bujumbura, to other provinces, to served four years of a five-year sentence. He prove that they had tested negative. had been arrested in 2017 and convicted in FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION 2018 on spurious charges of “threatening internal state security”. In January, the president promised that his In June, the Ntahangwa Appeal Court government would promote a “free and overturned human rights defender Germain responsible press”, calling on the National Rukuki’s conviction on charges of Communication Council to engage with “participation in an insurrectional suspended media houses to enable them to movement”, “threatening internal state restart their work. Following his speech, security”, and “attack on the authority of the restrictions were lifted on several media state”, but the court upheld his conviction for houses, including Bonesha FM, Isanganiro “rebellion”. His 32-year prison sentence was TV and the BBC. reduced to one year plus a fine of BIF50,000 These moves were undermined in August, (US$25). He was released on 30 June, after however, when the president launched a almost four years in detention.2 personal attack against journalist Esdras Also in June, lawyer Tony Germain Nkina Ndikumana for his reporting on the impact of was convicted by the High Court in Kayanza Covid-19, accusing him of “hating the of “collaboration with rebels who attacked country in which he was raised”. Burundi” and sentenced to five years in The conviction of former parliamentarians prison and a fine of BIF1 million Fabien Banciryanino in May and Pierre- (approximately US$500). He had been Celestin Ndikumana (in his absence) in arrested in October 2020 while working in August also called into question the Kabarore commune, an area that had been government’s stated commitment to the right affected by armed attacks. Several elements to freedom of expression and media freedom. in the case strongly suggested that it was They had openly criticized the government’s motivated by his former work with civil human rights record in the 2015-2020 society, dating back more than six years. The legislature, which was rare among Ngozi Appeal Court upheld his conviction 3 parliamentarians. Fabien Banciryanino was and sentence in September. Amnesty International Report 2021/22 109