A court of appeal invalidated Sandra Muhoza’s conviction in May but she remains in jail and Burundian authorities have begun fresh proceedings against her. PHOTO/Screenshot:/Radio Publique Africaine Ijwi ry’Abanyagihugu/ YouTube).
By JANE MUHONJA
On the first anniversary of the conviction of ailing Burundian journalist Sandra Muhoza, 127 African women journalists have written her a joint letter expressing solidarity, calling for her unconditional release, and decrying her imprisonment as robbing the public of “an important voice.”
Muhoza is expected in court today December 19, a family member familiar with her case told the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), on condition of anonymity, citing safety concerns.
“Some of us are mothers, and we recognize how painful it must be to be separated from your family and your young children, especially as Christmas and the New Year draw near. This is a pain no parent should ever endure,” said the signatories, including veteran journalists, media association heads, and newsroom leaders across the continent.
Muhoza was arrested in April 2024 over comments she made in a journalists’ WhatsApp group on the alleged distribution of machetes in Burundi. On December 16, 2024, she was sentenced to 21 months in prison on charges that included “undermining the integrity of the national territory.”
In May 2025, a court of appeal ruled that Muhoza’s trial had been carried out by a lower court lacking jurisdiction, effectively invalidating her conviction. Despite this, Muhoza remains behind bars and in October authorities began new judicial proceedings against her and denied her provisional release, according to court documents, reviewed by CPJ.
Read the full letter here in English and French
Meanwhile, CPJ has condemned a Hong Kong court’s conviction of Jimmy Lai, founder of the defunct pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, in a landmark national security trial.
“Authorities must immediately free the 78-year-old British national,” CPJ said in a statement.
A three-judge panel convicted Lai on December 15 of “conspiracy to collude with foreign forces” and “conspiracy to publish seditious material.” The verdict was delivered in front of a packed courtroom at the Hong Kong High Court.
A pre-sentencing mitigation hearing will begin on January 12, with Lai facing a maximum punishment of life imprisonment. CPJ said Lai’s health has worsened after spending five years in a maximum-security prison, mostly in solitary confinement with limited access to daylight and exercise.
“He has diabetes and has suffered from heart palpitations that require medication. More recently, his children have said that he is losing weight, his teeth are rotting, and his nails are falling off,” the statement added.
China consistently ranks as the world’s worst jailer of journalists, with at least 50 behind bars according to CPJ’s latest research.
“We call on the Chinese government to free Jimmy Lai and all detained journalists, and let them do their jobs safely without fear of reprisal,” CPJ appealed.
