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Rights Groups Demand Release of 4 Burundi Journalists

Agence France-Presse

   NAIROBI - Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on Thursday called for the
   release of four journalists and their driver who were arrested while
   covering a deadly clash between Burundi security forces and rebels from
   neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo.
   Burundi police said 14 members of the group RED-Tabarawere killed
   Tuesday.
   The organization, based ineastern DRC,is headed by one of Burundi's
   most outspoken opponents, AlexisSinduhij, the government and diplomats
   believe.
   RSF said the journalists with theIwacunewspaper "were
   arrested[Tuesday]at midday while trying to get witness statements from
   residents fleeing the fighting."
   The group said the reporters were being held alongside their driver
   inBubanzain northwestern Burundi.
   "These journalists were just doing their job by going to the scene to
   verify information about armed clashes... we urge authorities to free
   them without delay," said the RSF's Africa chief, ArnaudFroger.
   Police spokesman Moise Nkurunziza did not want to reveal the reason
   behind their arrestsduring a press conference, citing "confidentiality
   of investigations."

   HRW demands release
   Human Rights Watchon Wednesday also demanded the journalists'
   "immediate release."
   A Burundian journalist, speaking on condition of anonymity, said,"The
   objective was to prevent the presence of the media in this area, and it
   was successful. No other information aside from that given by officials
   is getting out."
   A local official inBubanzaindicated the situation was still tense and
   told AFP a police officer had been killed by a "residual group of
   rebels" Wednesday evening.
   Iwacu,one of the last independent publications in the country,has
   previously reported on cases of extrajudicial killings and arbitrary
   arrests during attacks in this area of Burundi.
   RSF recently warned thatbecause of the intensity of thecrackdown on the
   media in Burundi,"there is a risk of all forms of independent
   journalism disappearing less than a year before the presidential
   election of May 20, 2020."
   Burundi is ranked 159th out of 180 countries by RSF's world press
   freedom index.

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