Burundi opposition chief charged with contempt for president: lawyerA Burundi opposition leader was on Tuesday charged with contempt for the president, his lawyer said, following his November 3 arrest alongside 37 party members for holding an illegal meeting. Dozens of policemen were deployed near the court where around 150 supporters gathered to protest against Alexis Sinduhije's arrest. "My client is accused of contempt for the head of state on the basis of illegally seized documents because a search warrant was issued for his house and not for his party headquarters," said Sinduhije's lawyer Prosper Niyoyankana. "This is a purely political matter. It has nothing to do with the law. Alexis Sinduhije, like other political prisoners in this country, is being punished pun·ish v. pun·ished, pun·ish·ing, pun·ish·es v.tr. 1. To subject to a penalty for an offense, sin, or fault. 2. To inflict a penalty for (an offense). 3. by the government for their criticism" of the regime, Niyoyankana told reporters. Sinduhije, a former journalist, has now been transferred from police custody to Bujumbura central prison. Meanwhile, the 37 others arrested, fellow founding members of the Movement for Security and Democracy, had been freed since Saturday, a human rights activist said. "Some were not even questioned and the police commander told me that he received orders from above to free them," said Pierre-Claver Mbonimpa, the head of the Association for the defence of detained de·tain tr.v. de·tained, de·tain·ing, de·tains 1. To keep from proceeding; delay or retard. 2. To keep in custody or temporary confinement: persons and human rights. Sinduhije, 42, founded Radio Publique Africaine (African Public Radio) in 2001 in a bid to foster reconciliation between Tutsi and Hutu communities. He became one of Burundi's most prominent journalists, before he launched the Movement for Security and Democracy in December 2007 and vowed to run for the presidency in 2010. In April, he was picked by Time magazine in its annual selection of the world's 100 most influential people. The European Union European Union (EU), name given since the ratification (Nov., 1993) of the Treaty of European Union, or Maastricht Treaty, to the European Community on Monday condemned con·demn tr.v. con·demned, con·demn·ing, con·demns 1. To express strong disapproval of: condemned the needless waste of food. 2. his arrest and warned the central African Central African may mean:
tr.v. vi·o·lat·ed, vi·o·lat·ing, vi·o·lates 1. To break or disregard (a law or promise, for example). 2. To assault (a person) sexually. 3. the terms of the bloc's aid to Bujumbura. Britain and the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. also criticised the arrests. 
|
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion