A Burundian journalist jailed since April 2024 has been sentenced to four years in prison, her lawyer told AFP, denouncing an unfair process.
Sandra Muhoza, a reporter for the online outlet La Nova Burundi, appeared before a court in Ngozi in December, visibly weakened and leaning on a crutch.
Her lawyer said the verdict was delivered Tuesday and relayed Wednesday at Ngozi prison, where Muhoza has been held for months.
The court convicted her of undermining national territorial integrity and inciting racial hatred, charges her defence rejects as politically motivated.
Prosecutors had sought a twelve-year sentence, a demand her lawyer described as disproportionate and detached from any proven criminal conduct.
Relatives declined to comment on the conviction but told reporters prison authorities have repeatedly denied Muhoza access to proper medical care.
Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders condemned the ruling as a very harsh sentence based on trumped-up accusations.
The group said Muhoza was punished for sharing information in a private WhatsApp group about alleged government arms distribution.
Reporters Without Borders said the case shows authorities continue to treat journalism as a crime, noting Muhoza is the only woman journalist detained in sub-Saharan Africa.
Burundi ranks 125th out of 180 countries in the press freedom index, reflecting a climate where independent reporting often walks a perilous line.
