Florida Stations Celebrate Major Wins at State Broadcast Journalism Awards
April 13, 2026
IFJ Gender Council Elects New Leadership to Advance Global Equality Agenda
April 14, 2026
April 14, 2026 – Burundi –
Burundian journalist Sandra Muhoza has been granted provisional release after nearly two years in detention, a development hailed by press freedom advocates as a significant, though incomplete, step toward justice in a case widely criticised as emblematic of media repression in the country.
Muhoza, a reporter for the online outlet La Nova Burundi, was released on March 4, 2026, following a decision by the Ngozi Court of Appeal. However, her release comes with strict judicial conditions, including restrictions on travel and requirements to report regularly to authorities, meaning her legal situation remains unresolved.
She was initially arrested in April 2024 in connection with comments shared in a private WhatsApp group for journalists. The messages reportedly referred to allegations about the distribution of weapons, which authorities later used to charge her with undermining national territorial integrity and inciting ethnic hatred. These charges drew strong criticism from international organisations, which argued that her actions fell within the scope of legitimate journalistic activity.
Muhoza’s case has been marked by a series of legal irregularities and shifting rulings. In late 2024, she was sentenced to 21 months in prison, but that conviction was later invalidated on jurisdictional grounds. Despite this, she remained in detention and was retried, receiving a harsher four-year sentence in January 2026, further intensifying concerns about due process and judicial independence.
Her provisional release follows sustained pressure from international press freedom groups, including Reporters Without Borders, which has repeatedly described her detention as arbitrary and politically motivated. Advocacy organisations have emphasised that she was the only woman journalist imprisoned in sub-Saharan Africa at the time of her sentencing, highlighting the broader implications of her case for press freedom in the region.
While her release has been welcomed, campaigners stress that it does not equate to full exoneration. Her appeal remains ongoing, and she continues to face legal uncertainty under judicial supervision. Press freedom groups have called on Burundian authorities to fully overturn her conviction and guarantee her right to work without fear of reprisal.
Muhoza’s case has become a focal point in ongoing debates about freedom of expression in Burundi, where journalists and media workers continue to operate under significant legal and political pressure.
Reference –
Burundian Journalist Sandra Muhoza Provisionally Released After Nearly Two Years in Detention
