Burundian journalist arrested after reporting on murder of nuns He faces charge of being an accomplice to murder by interviewing an alleged perpetrator Roy Greenslade Friday 23 January 2015 02.03 EST Prominent Burundian journalist Bob Rugurika was arrested days after his radio station broadcast a series of investigative reports into the murder of three Italian nuns, reports Human Rights Watch (HRW). The broadcasts included allegations about the involvement of senior intelligence officials in an attack on a convent in September 2014 in which the three elderly nuns were killed. Rugurika, director of Radio Publique Africaine (RPA), was arrested on Tuesday (20 January) and two days later he was placed in an isolation cell and denied visits. Prosecuting officials have said Rugurika is likely to be charged with conspiracy to murder, obstructing the course of justice through violating confidentiality in criminal investigations, harbouring a criminal and failing to uphold “public solidarity”. A prosecutor told HRW that Rugurika could be considered an accomplice to the nuns’ murder because he met an alleged perpetrator but did not inform the authorities or hand him over for arrest. “Rugurika’s arrest and prosecution appear to be an attempt to silence him and to prevent his radio station from investigating and reporting on sensitive issues,” said Daniel Bekele, HRW’s Africa director. Burundi has a lively independent media with a strong tradition of investigative reporting, and RPA is one of the most popular radio stations. But HRW argues that Rugurika’s arrest forms part of an escalating pattern of government attacks on freedom of expression, particularly targeting journalists, in the run-up to elections in May. Journalists working for other radio stations and newspapers have also been intimidated. Some have been arrested for reporting on alleged government abuses. Bekele said: “Burundian authorities should be pursuing those responsible for the nuns’ murder, not targeting journalists who are reporting on the incident”.
Posted on: Sat, 24 Jan 2015 18:27:35 +0000
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