IPI is deeply alarmed by the conviction and four-year prison sentence handed down to Burundian journalist Sandra Muhoza. Muhoza, who worked with online publication La Nova, was arrested in April 2024 for sharing information in a private journalists’ WhatsApp group and has been incarcerated since then. She was charged with undermining the integrity of Burundi’s national territory and inciting ethnic hatred. In addition to the imprisonment, the Ngozi High Court also ordered Muhoza to pay a fine of 200,000 Burundian francs (about 60 euros).
This decision marks a troubling escalation in the use of the criminal justice system to silence journalists and punish dissenting voices in Burundi.
Muhoza was initially convicted in December 2024 on the same charges and sentenced to 21 months’ imprisonment. However, an appellate court overturned the ruling in May 2025 on the basis that the trial court lacked jurisdiction. She, however, remained in prison until her retrial in October 2025.
“Sandra Muhoza has spent almost two years in detention since her arrest, following a deeply flawed legal process that has included jurisdictional irregularities, prolonged detention despite an appeal court ruling nullifying her initial conviction, and the re-opening of proceedings on the same facts. Her sentencing to a harsher penalty in this second trial underscores serious concerns about abuse of court processes to punish free expression and deter independent journalism,” said Nompilo Simanje, IPI’s Africa Advocacy and Engagement Lead.
IPI calls on the Burundian authorities to immediately release Muhoza, and her conviction must be overturned on appeal. Her continued incarceration sends a chilling message to journalists across Burundi and the wider region that professional discussion, and even the act of asking questions, can result in years behind bars. This climate of fear pushes journalists into self-censorship and undermines the public’s right to information.
In December 2025, IPI Africa representatives joined 126 other African women journalists and civil society representatives in a letter of solidarity calling for Sandra Muhoza’s release.
Simanje added: “We continue to stand in solidarity with Sandra Muhoza, her family, and journalists across Burundi as her freedom is not only a matter of justice for one individual, but a test of the country’s commitment to fundamental rights and the rule of law. Burundian authorities should respect their obligations under regional and international human rights law, including protections for freedom of expression and media freedom.”
In August 2022, another female journalist, Floriane Irangabiye, was arrested and convicted to ten years in prison on trumped-up national security charges. She was imprisoned for two years and was only released following President Evariste Ndayishimiye’s decree pardoning her on August 14, 2024.