General situation
On 3rd July 2023, the Burundian delegation withdrew from the country's periodic review during the UN Human Rights Committee meeting in Geneva, shortly after the session began. The delegation declared their objection to the presence of members of civil society in attendance, individuals whom the government claimed to be "criminals convicted by Burundian justice." Among those present from civil society was Armel Niyongere, a prominent human rights lawyer, who, along with eleven other human rights defenders and journalists, had been convicted in absentia for their alleged involvement in a coup attempt in May 2015. The Committee refused to exclude duly accredited participants from the public meeting. Consequently, it conducted the review in the absence of the state delegation.
Association
On 12th May 2023, during the 43rd session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the UN Human Rights Council, several representatives of the country’s human rights organisations highlighted that civic space in Burundi remains closed and recommended that the government investigate the numerous cases of torture committed by police, security services and intelligence agents and that they cease harassment and violations against HRDs, journalists and other media workers.
On 6th July 2023, OMCT and members of the SOS-Torture network in Burundi expressed concern about the closure of civic space and the criminalisation of human rights defenders in the country. They highlighted that over a hundred Burundian human rights defenders are still living and working in exile due to the risk of reprisals. Ahead of the Human Rights Council’s 54th session, to be held in September-October 2023, DefendDefenders and other organisations highlighted the need for ongoing scrutiny of Burundi’s human rights situation, through the Special Rapporteur’s mandate.