20 July 2009

Alert

Journalist receives death threats from senior official


Incident details

Death threat

Marc Niyonkuru, Journalist

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(JED/IFEX) - On 18 July 2009 in Makamba, a city in southwestern Burundi, Marc Niyonkuru, a correspondent for Radio Isanganiro, a privately-owned station that broadcasts across the country, received death threats from Pasteur Bucumi, Director General of City Planning and an active member of the ruling political party (the National Council for the Defence of Democracy - Forces for the Defence of Democracy, CNDD/FDD).

According to information obtained by JED, on 18 July, Niyonkuru broadcast a news item according to which Bucumi made use of an official car for the activities of his political party.

Just after the news broadcast, Bucumi threatened the journalist over the phone, telling him that if he dared to transmit such information again, his life would be in danger. The following day, Bucumi summoned Niyonkuru to his office to threaten him again. This behaviour was decried by Alexandre Niyungero, president of the Burundi Association of Journalists.



Source:

Journaliste en danger
B.P. 633 - Kinshasa 1
374, av. Col. Mondjiba
Complexe Utexafrica, Galerie St Pierre, 1er niveau, Local 18 Kinshasa/Ngaliema
République Démocratique du Congo
direction (@) jed-afcentre.org
Phone: +243 81 99 29 323
Fax: +44 20 7900 3413
 

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Burundi

Intelligence agents arrest radio reporter for allegedly aiding rebels 30 November 2011 Summonses, threats and harassment part of everyday life for privately-owned media 17 November 2011 Government urged to strengthen support for national human rights commission 7 October 2011 Authorities urged to lift news blackout imposed after Gatumba massacre 27 September 2011 Government critics face repeated arrests, questioning 12 August 2011 See all alerts: Burundi


 
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