11-30-2016 ■ World Organization Against Torture –OMCT General Assembly held on 26 November in Geneva, Switzerland, elected new members including Armel Niyongere, a Burundian human rights defender. He was chosen for his commitment to fighting against impunity and torture in Burundi. The Chairman of the Christian Action for the Abolition of (...)

08-30-2016 ■ In a press release issued this Friday, the Brussels Bar and its Human Rights Institute express their indignation against political authorities’ decision to dismiss four lawyers from the Bujumbura bar. According to that declaration, Armel Niyongere, Vital Nshimirimana, Lambert Nigarura and Dieudonne Bashirahishize are threatened with the ultimate sanction (...)

08-09-2016 ■ The UN Committee against Torture-UNCAT has voiced grave concern about reported reprisals against four Burundian lawyers.  Armel Niyongere, Lambert Nigarura, Dieudonné Bashirahishize and Vital Nshimirimana – who provided information to the UNCAT for a special review of Burundi in Geneva on 28 and 29 July- will be dismissed from (...)

08-04-2016 ■ On 29 July, Bujumbura Court of Appeal public prosecutor addressed a correspondence to the Burundi Bar Association about disbarring four lawyers. Armel Niyongere, Vital Nshimirimana, Dieudonne Bashirahishize and Lambert Nigarura were accused of non-compliance with professional ethics. The first two lawyers were specifically charged with involvement in some criminal (...)

07-19-2016 ■ The second round of the inter-Burundian dialogue recently held in Arusha was a success despite some reported irregularities. Opposition and civil society representatives deplore the lack of willingness on the part of the Government of Burundi to find out solutions to the current Burundi crisis, while the latter declares (...)

10-23-2014 ■ Burundi’s Human Right record was reviewed by the UN Human Rights Committee on 8-9 October in Geneva.-By Lorraine Josiane Manishatse The committee was interested in the case of two commissioners of the Burundian Independent National Commission on Human Right (INCHR), who were instated without consulting opposition parties and civil (...)