Burundi: civil society denounces extrajudicial execution of prisoners

Text by: RFI Follow

In Burundi - we were talking about it a few days ago - throughout the past week, clashes had opposed a mysterious armed group and the police supported by groups of young people. Civil society denounces the extrajudicial execution of a dozen prisoners.

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During these clashes between the mysterious armed group and the police, a local official then spoke of 12 rebels killed. Following this, the police spokesman finally announced, mid-week, that 22 rebels and two police officers had been killed in the latest fighting on Sunday 23 February.

However, for the past few days, civil society has been denouncing the extrajudicial execution of a dozen prisoners, based on numerous photos and videos taken that day, which were authenticated by witnesses, " barbarism " in the media. assets of the police and " Imbonerakure " that the UN describes as a militia.

Pacifique Nininahazwe, one of the figures of Burundian civil society in exile, condemns extrajudicial executions and calls for an independent investigation.

“ Pictures show more than a dozen people who had been arrested. We want to ask him the question : but what has become of the ten people who had been arrested and whom we saw in images? The police spokesman also said that a teacher from a secondary school led these operations. However, it turns out that the photo of this teacher was also seen when he was arrested with his arms tied up. We also saw another photo of the same teacher already executed. It is as if these statements by the Burundian authorities were like proof of these extrajudicial executions , ”he explains to RFI.

No Burundian official could be reached until Friday evening.

► Also read: "Burundi: questions about the appearance of an unidentified armed group around Bujumbura"

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