Burundian journalist Sandra Muhoza was released from prison Wednesday after nearly two years in detention, following a court order granting her provisional freedom while her appeal continues, according to her lawyer and press freedom organizations.
Muhoza, a reporter for the online news outlet La Nova Burundi, was freed on March 4 after a prosecutor at the Court of Appeal in Ngozi ordered her conditional release in a decision dated Feb. 27. The order requires her to remain in the northern province of Ngozi, regularly report to authorities and refrain from actions that could interfere with the ongoing judicial process.
The 43-year-old journalist had been detained since April 2024 after authorities accused her of undermining the country’s territorial integrity and inciting ethnic hatred. The charges stem from information she shared in a private WhatsApp group of journalists discussing alleged weapons distribution to members of a youth wing associated with the ruling party.
In January, a court in Ngozi sentenced Muhoza to four years in prison and imposed a fine of 200,000 Burundian francs following a retrial. She has appealed the conviction, and a ruling on the appeal is expected later this month.
Muhoza’s legal case has been marked by procedural disputes. In May 2025, an appeals court in Mukaza ruled that a previous conviction issued in Bujumbura was invalid because the court lacked jurisdiction, effectively overturning the earlier judgment. Despite that ruling, authorities initiated a new prosecution in Ngozi based on the same allegations, and Muhoza remained in detention until her provisional release this week.
Press freedom organizations welcomed her release but said the case highlights ongoing challenges for journalists in Burundi. The Committee to Protect Journalists said Muhoza’s provisional release “does not undo the injustice she endured” and called for her conviction to be overturned.
The media watchdog Reporters Without Borders also welcomed the decision while urging Burundian authorities to drop the charges against her entirely.
During her detention, Muhoza reportedly experienced health problems that affected her ability to walk, according to relatives and rights groups.
Burundi has faced sustained criticism from international observers over its treatment of journalists. Rights organizations say prosecutions under charges related to national security or territorial integrity have been used in several cases against media workers in recent years.
On the same day another journalist Kenny Claude Nduwimana was released after more than 2 years in prison.
Journalist Kenny Claude Nduwimana left Bujumbura Central Prison Mpimba on Wednesday afternoon. His release comes after more than two years in detention and following a request for a presidential pardon, as advised by President Évariste Ndayishimiye in December 2025.
Arrested in October 2023 for fraud and defamation via social media, Kenny Claude Nduwimana claims he was targeted for denouncing cases of the expropriation of public lands.
Meanwhile, Sandra Muhoza’s appeal hearing is scheduled for March 20, when a court is expected to issue a decision that could determine whether her conviction is upheld or overturned.
