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In July 2017, my wife Emelyne Mupfasoni and I were awakened by an army of armed men who stormed our house in Burundi. Emelyne was just five months pregnant with our third child. The police searched our house, confiscated my wife’s laptop, took me to my office for a search, and confiscated my laptop and other items. I was later transferred to the National Intelligence Service, where I was kept for two weeks. I was kept in solitary confinement in the National Intelligence Service in Bujumbura before being transferred to Ngozi Prison in northern Burundi.
My arrest was not surprising. Human rights activists, young people and political activists from Burundi who wanted to uphold the law have been under intense scrutiny since 2015. In April of that year, then-President Pierre Nkurunziza announced his candidacy for a third term – which many see as violating the country’s constitution. When many Burundians protested against the protests, the government launched an all-out assault on the country.
As a result, civil society groups, which were at the forefront of protests against Nkurunziza, were constantly harassed. Many human rights activists, opposition leaders and journalists were forced to leave Burundi and many of those who remained faced threats and retaliation, including arrest, false charges, and forced extinction. As a result, more than 400,000 Burundians have fled to neighboring countries.
My career has not improved either. I had already narrowly escaped being arrested and robbed several times. When I was arrested, having seen many who had lost their lives before me and others who had disappeared in similar circumstances, I immediately thought that my life was ending and that counting had begun.
I was charged with felony criminal mischief, including “sedition”, “vandalism and vandalism of private and public property”, “terrorist attacks”, “terrorist activity” and “threat of national security”. My previous work with Action by Christians for Abolition of Torture (ACAT Burundi) was used against me.
I have always wanted to fix the world, save lives and change the place I live. I hate injustice, and I hate to see other people suffer. This is why I joined ACAT Burundi in 2004. From 2006 to 2010, I was one of the ACAT volunteers who visited national parks throughout the country, before I became the director of finance and operations administration in 2011. Later, I went to work for the organization. Association of Catholic Jurists of Burundi (AJCB) until I was arrested.
I was sentenced to 32 years in prison for defending human rights. Arrest was very difficult. I was tortured and tortured. Everything in the prison was done with the intent to harass, frustrate, discourage, and restrict other human rights activists.
I spent almost ten years visiting the prison and thought I knew how to stay inside – but I was wrong. I knew what it was like to be a prisoner and knew that when I was released, I would use these principles to train people in Burundian prisons.
In Burundi, prisons have lost their meaning – they are no longer a place of control. Instead, prisons have become a place of incarceration for people like me — political opponents, those who have the courage to express their views, and other innocent people. If your mind offends other adults, then you are in trouble.
While in prison, I gained strength and endurance because of my innocence. I knew that soon the truth would be known. I was not the first person to be unjustly arrested, nor was I the first person to be tortured and tortured. My case revealed all that was done anonymously to the victims.
Knowing that I was imprisoned for a good reason, for the protection of human rights, was comforting. My case was widely known to the people of Burundi and other countries, and I knew that this would benefit me and the victims. In other words, I felt that being imprisoned was better than being robbed because I hoped that one day I would be able to regain my freedom and my family.
I was finally released in June 2021 and was very happy. The first thing I did was talk to my family, old friends and acquaintances. I did not wait to see my family again, including my young son, whom I had never met before because he was born four months after my arrest. He gives me such pride.
I am grateful for the support I received from the civil rights movement during my time in solitary confinement and since I was released from prison. Being part of Amnesty International’s Write for Rights campaign was amazing and messages and letters from donors around the world gave me strength and courage and strengthened my commitment to protecting human rights.
Despite my release, Burundi’s human rights situation remains tense and my country still has a long way to go. In May 2020, a new president was elected, but hopes for a radical change were dashed.
In his inauguration last year, President Evariste Ndayishimiye announced his intention to “build Burundi on a solid foundation, namely: good governance, respect for and protection of human rights”. However, he continued to criticize other human rights activists as “colonial puppets”.
Despite the president’s condemnation of the media in 2021, his government continues to question the legitimacy of the human rights movement, and strict restrictions on human rights, including freedom of speech, remain.
According to various reports, there have also been a number of people who have disappeared forcibly, which the president and other officials continue to ignore, while violence against women, kidnappings and killings continue. Burundian government officials have forgotten the struggle they faced before coming to power and are now doing nothing to ensure the peace and future of our children. This should change, otherwise, with the younger generations that will suffer.
Imprisonment helped me to understand the crimes that are plaguing the world, and it has given me the determination to find solutions to our problems so that we can all enjoy our freedoms and freedoms. Since my release, I have set up Together for the Support of Human Rights Defenders in Danger (ESDDH).
As a victim and survivor, I know a lot of journalists, lawyers, human rights activists and other people like them who need help with their work. To those who are experiencing political persecution, I would like to say: Be strong and courageous, it will end one day and you too will be able to regain your rights and those of your families.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Al Jazeera.
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