Human rights defenders Emmanuel Nshimirimana, Aimé Constant Gatore and Marius Nizigiyimana were sentenced to 10 years in prison on 8 March. They are members of the Burundian non-governmental organization Words and Actions for the Awakening of Consciences and the Evolution of Mentalities (PARCEM). They had been charged with ‘threatening interior state security’ and using fake documents. Amnesty International considers them to be prisoners of conscience.
1) TAKE ACTION
Write a letter, send an email, call, fax or tweet:
- Urging the authorities to release Emmanuel Nshimirimana, Aimé Constant Gatore and Marius Nizigiyimana immediately and unconditionally and to ensure that their convictions are quashed;
- Calling on them to ensure that, until they are released, they have regular access to their family and lawyers of their choice;
- Calling on them to ensure that, pending their release, they are protected from torture and other ill-treatment while in detention;
- Urging them to stop the intimidation and harassment of human rights defenders.
Contact these two officials by 11 June, 2018:
Minister of Justice
Aimée Laurentine Kanyana
Ministry of Justice
BP 1305
Bujumbura, Burundi
Twitter: @AimeeLaurentine
Salutation: Dear Minister
Chargé d’Affaires, Benjamin Manirakiza
Embassy of the Republic of Burundi
2233 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Suite 408,
Washington, DC 20007
Phone: 1 202 342 2574 I Fax: 1 202 342 2578
Email: [email protected]
Salutation: Dear Ambassador
2) LET US KNOW YOU TOOK ACTION
Click here to let us know if you took action on this case! This is Urgent Action 31.18
Here’s why it is so important to report your actions: we record the actions taken on each case—letters, emails, calls and tweets—and use that information in our advocacy.
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