Dear Friends,
It is now more than a month since Jean Bigirimana (photo), a reporter for Iwacu and Infos Grands Lacs, disappeared in Burundi. According to witnesses, he was seen for the last time on 22 July in Muramvya, being arrested by members of the National Intelligence Service (SNR).
An investigation by Iwacu led to the discovery of two bodies in a river near to where Jean was seen for the last time. Unfortunately, the local authorities quickly buried the two bodies before they could be identified. Deprived of all information, his family and colleagues live in a state of constant anxiety. Light must be shed on what happened to Jean.
A weekly newspaper, Iwacu is one of the few independent media outlets to have continued operating after Burundi’s radio stations were forced close on President Pierre Nkurunziza’s orders. Since April 2015, Burundi has been in the grips of a grave political crisis in which many journalists have been physically attacked. It is now ranked 156th out of 180 countries in the Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index, after falling 11 places in 2015.
We are counting on you!
Thank you in advance!
The staff of Reporters Without Borders (RSF)
Reporters WIthout Borders
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