Burundi: Lawyer gets 5-year prison sentence: Tony Germain Nkina

Burundian lawyer Tony Germain Nkina was sentenced to five years in prison on 15 June by the High Court of Kayanza province, in northern Burundi. He was arrested on 13 October 2020 while visiting a client in Kabarore commune, in Kayanza, shortly after armed attacks in the area. He was charged with endangering internal state security, and later convicted of “collaborating with rebels who attacked Burundi.” On 12 August, Ngozi province’s Court of Appeal postponed the appeal hearing to 2 September. Evidence presented by the prosecution indicates the charges against Tony Germain Nkina are motivated solely by his former human rights work. Amnesty International calls for his immediate and unconditional release.

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