Front Line is concerned following reports that human rights defenders Gabriel Rufyiri, Jean Marie Vianey Kavumbagu and Joseph Mujiji have been summoned for questioning by the Prosecutor General. Gabriel Rufyiri is President of the non-governmental anti-corruption organisation l'Observatoire de Lutte contre la Corruption et les Malversations Economiques – l'OLUCOME (Observatory for the Struggle against Corruption and Economic Embezzlement). Jean Marie Vianey Kavumbagu and Joseph Mujiji are, respectively, former President of the Ligue ITEKA, la Ligue Burundaise des Droits de l'Homme, (ITEKA League, Burundian League for Human Rights) and member of the same organisation.

Further Information

Posted 19/08/2008 On 14 August 2008, the three human rights defenders were notified that they must appear on Monday 18 August 2008 before the Prosecutor General, Jean Marie Vianey Kavumbagu and Joseph Mujiji at 08h00 and Gabriel Rufyiri at 15h00.

L'OLUCOME recently sent a copy of a report they had produced which was critical of the revised 2008 Budget to the President of the Senate. Gabriel Rufyiri was arrested and detained for 23 days before being charged with slander against the State and was subsequently detained for several months before his release.

Front Line believes that the summoning of the three men for questioning is directly related to their work in defence of human rights, in particular their recent work on embezzlement and corruption in Burundi. In view of the prolonged detention of Gabriel Rufyiri in 2006, Front Line is also concerned for the physical and psychological integrity of Gabriel Rufyiri, Jean Marie Vianey Kavumbagu and Joseph Mujiji.