BUJUMBURA, November 27th (ABP) – The Solidarity with Prisoners and Their Families (Ntabariza-SPF) association, campaigning for the improvement of the living conditions of prisoners and their families, organized a press conference on Tuesday, November 26, 2024 to express its satisfaction with the implementation of the campaign to reduce prison population across the country. This campaign was launched by the President of the Republic of Burundi, Evariste Ndayishimiye, on November 14, 2024, at Muramvya prison.
During the press conference, which he hosted, the legal representative of the Ntabariza-SPF association, Jean Marie Nshimirimana, stated that as part of this presidential pardon, a total of 5,442 prisoners will be released out of the 13,211 prisoners in the country.
This means that 41% of prisoners have been identified as eligible for the presidential pardon. He added that the Ntabariza-SPF association hail this initiative introduced by the President of the Republic.
However, he continued to say, the Ntabariza-SPF association deplores that the implementation of this presidential measure is dragging on as the first week has just passed, while the President of the Republic has set the release of the 5,442 prisoners he pardoned within 2 weeks. To remedy this, Nshimirimana urged those responsible for the activity to carry it out successfully, so that these people can return to their respective families and contribute to the development of the country, as advised by the President of the Republic, during the launch of that campaign. He also took the opportunity to ask those released prisoners to work for their development and to refrain from anything that could lead to their return to prison. This association praises the reforms that are currently being carried out in the field of justice, and the Head of State for the advice he gives to judges to restore the image of justice in Burundi, in order to restore the reputation of Burundian justice.