A Burundian journalist’s court appeal was postponed on Tuesday due to a shortage of fuel, according to judicial sources and her family.
Sandra Muhoza, a reporter for online media outlet La Nova Burundi, was scheduled to appeal her conviction for “undermining the integrity of the national territory” and “discrediting the country’s image.”
The charges stemmed from a private WhatsApp message she shared about alleged government weapons distribution.
Muhoza, who has been imprisoned at Mpimba central prison near Bujumbura, was set to appear before the Bujumbura Court of Appeal.
However, the court delayed the hearing indefinitely after authorities cited a lack of fuel to transport her.
A relative, who spoke on condition of anonymity, expressed frustration over the repeated delays, calling them a tactic to undermine her mentally.
The appeal had already been postponed from March 5.
The judicial source confirmed that fuel shortages, which frequently disrupt trials, have become an ongoing issue in the country.
Burundi, a landlocked and financially strained nation, relies heavily on fuel imports, which have been in short supply.
Muhoza was arrested in April and sentenced to one year and nine months in prison in December.
The prosecution had initially sought a 12-year sentence.
