But on January 17, 2024, their lives took an unexpected turn. As they were chatting at the market’s entrance, they noticed a man approaching his car in distress, claiming that he’d been robbed of 900,000 Burundian Francs (BIF) left inside. Amid the crowded market, security guards quickly turned their suspicions on the boys, accusing them of the theft. Despite the boys’ firm denials, they were handed over to the municipal police, thrust into a grim and unfamiliar world.
By sheer luck, lawyers from Burundi Bridges to Justice (BBJ) happened to be at the police station that day, assessing cases as part of their mission to protect the vulnerable. They learned about the three boys’ plight and decided to take on the case, driven by a deep sense of injustice. Arguing before the judicial police, the lawyers emphasized that the accusations were based on mere assumptions. Being close to a car did not make them thieves, the lawyers argued. There was no evidence, no witnesses, and nothing tying the boys to the alleged theft. 

The lawyers’ advocacy extended beyond legal arguments. They painted a picture of the boys’ lives, describing how their meager earnings were crucial to their families in Kayanza. These were not young criminals but hardworking boys with a sense of responsibility far beyond their years. The BBJ team insisted that, without any proof, holding them in custody was both unjust and inhumane.

Their defense struck a chord, and the judicial police officer ultimately agreed that there was insufficient evidence to justify holding the boys. The case continued with an investigation to identify the real perpetrator, but the boys were released, allowed to return to their work and their mission to support their families.

For Lévis, Bienvenu, and Rukundo, the experience was a harrowing brush with a system that so easily could have derailed their young lives. Thanks to BBJ’s intervention, they walked away with their dignity intact, a second chance to keep their lives—and dreams—moving forward. Their case stands as a reminder of the power of legal advocacy to protect the innocent and ensure justice for the underserved.

When Loana was informally arrested, she was in her home province. The head of the National Intelligence Service in her province was responsible for her arrest. She was detained in the NIS prison in Bujumbura and threatened with death until she agreed to go with them to the place where Anton was supposed to be. They travelled in an NIS vehicle and forced Loana to call Mr ANTON so that they could meet. She had no choice. When they arrived where ANTON lived, Loana refused to show them the exact place where ANTON was, but the NIS agents contacted the District Chief, who eventually showed them Mr ANTON, and then ANTON was taken into custody to the NIS dungeons.

Loana was released and Mr ANTON was arrested. But unfortunately, instead of investigating his case, ANTON became a victim of enforced disappearance. Neither his family nor Loana received any information about what had happened to Mr ANTON. When ANTON’s family searched in vain for their son, they decided to file a complaint against Loana, who was arrested by the judicial police. Her case was referred to the public prosecutor, who accused Mrs Loana of kidnapping Mr ANTON. An arrest warrant was issued and she spent more than a year without appearing in court.

One of BBJ’s lawyers was then informed of Mrs Laona’s case. He met her when she was torn apart by fear and hopelessness. He decided to provide her with legal representation. He followed her case and secured an opportunity for her case to be scheduled for trial. It took another two years for the court to rule on Loana’s case. Although the case was heard for the first time, the judge found it necessary to summon Anton’s mother and the prosecutor’s witnesses, and the case was sent back to court to hear the prosecutor’s and Anton’s mother’s witnesses. After several absences of these witnesses, the BBJ lawyers asked the court to grant Mrs Loana access to justice and to consider her constitutional right to be tried within a reasonable time. Finally, in October 2023, after a long legal battle, BBJ’s lawyer succeeded in having Mrs Loana acquitted by a court decision declaring her innocent.

It took another four months to get her out of prison, as it was only on 28 February 2024 that Mrs Loana was granted permission by the prosecutor to return home.

 While Laona’s case involved aspects of the enforced disappearance of an individual, a big question was: “who was responsible? Was it Loana? Or the NIS agents? Loana was able to provide evidence that she had been arrested by the NIS just before Mr ANTON disappeared. Even Anton’s mother had told the judicial police that she knew that her son was wanted by the state security services. All this became an element supporting the fact that Loana was not guilty of kidnapping Mr ANTHON. They were a basis for the BBJ lawyer who helped Mrs Loana to prove that she could not be responsible for the kidnapping of his good friend.

But if Loana had not been properly defended by a competent lawyer, it would have been so hard for her to convince the judge otherwise, while the prosecutor was vehemently calling for 20 years imprisonment. Loana would have been sentenced to 20 years imprisonment simply because she was a friend of Mr ANTON and was forced to show the NIS where he should be.  “When I saw Mrs Loana for the first time, her eyes were filled with tears of pain, but when I saw her leaving the prison gates, her eyes were filled with tears of joy,” said the BBJ lawyer who represented Mrs Loana. Loana’s case is yet another example of how BBJ’s legal representation is a powerful tool to bring hope to the hopeless and to protect the rights of ordinary citizens, including vulnerable women.

On the morning of February 25, 2024, Régis found himself caught up in a storm he hadn’t anticipated. His friend and coworker, Clovis, had hatched a plan to steal two cans of palm oil from the restaurant owner. Régis, a young man with a good heart, tried to talk him out of it, urging Clovis to reconsider. But Clovis wouldn’t relent, and, against his better judgment, Régis agreed to help Clovis find a buyer. The buyer, however, couldn’t pay upfront, leaving both boys in a bind. After waiting days for payment that never came, Clovis decided to return the stolen cans. Régis complied, hoping to put the entire ordeal behind him.

But things took a sharp turn. When the buyer returned the cans directly to the restaurant owner, Régis was identified as the one in possession of the stolen goods. Although he admitted to his role without hesitation, his heart sank as he was taken into custody at the local jail, facing the weight of his poor decision. He knew he had made a mistake, and he cooperated fully with the police investigation, sharing all he knew to clear the air.

The legal proceedings took a more compassionate turn when BBJ, a lawyer advocating for the young man, requested leniency. Seeing the regret in Régis’s eyes, the lawyer appealed to the restaurant owner to forgive this boy, who had been swept up in his friend’s mischief without malicious intent. Touched by Régis’s sincerity and the lawyer’s plea, the restaurant owner agreed. Ultimately, a fine was imposed, but recognizing the financial strain on both boys, BBJ successfully negotiated for their release without payment.

Thanks to the lawyer’s persistence and the restaurant owner’s forgiveness, Régis walked out a free man. The lesson was harsh, but he returned to his family with a stronger resolve, determined never to stray from the values that had guided him there in the first place.

Her husband, demanding control of the family’s hard-earned possessions, became violent when she refused. He lashed out, and, joined by his friends, Esperance was beaten and then forced to go to the Bwiza police station, where the situation took an even graver twist. 

In a harsh irony, Esperance was arrested and charged with assaulting her husband, a painful misinterpretation of events that added injustice to her trauma. As fate would have it, a team from Burundi Bridges to Justice (BBJ) was at the police station on International Women’s Day. Hearing her story, they stepped in immediately, recognizing her as a victim, not an offender. 

The BBJ women’s team pleaded her case to the judicial police officer, explaining that Esperance was a survivor of domestic violence, not an aggressor. She needed support, not punishment. Moved by their argument, the officer dropped the charges and arranged for her to be taken to the Seruka Centre, a specialized facility where survivors of sexual and domestic violence could receive care and counseling. Her husband, meanwhile, was taken into custody, finally held accountable for his actions.

After treatment and counseling at Seruka, Esperance returned home, and the joy was clear in her children’s faces as they welcomed their mother back. The ordeal had been a test of her resilience, but with BBJ’s help, Esperance had won her freedom and a fresh start, proof of how justice can protect and uplift women, especially those who bear the weight of responsibility alone.

Despite her innocence, she was apprehended by the police along with the other suspects. A BBJ lawyer intervened on her behalf, asserting that there was no evidence implicating Alima in the crime and therefore she should not bear any criminal responsibility. Due to this legal representation, Alima was able to regain her freedom. This case underscores the importance of legal advocacy in protecting the rights of individuals and ensuring justice in the legal system.

His ordeal began on June 15, 2023, when he was arrested around 10 p.m. for accepting old banknotes, now invalid, while selling coal. Authorities swiftly apprehended both the customer and Taner upon closer examination of the banknotes. Facing serious charges, Taner sought legal assistance from Mrs. Fides Nibasumba, a collaborating lawyer with BBJ. She argued that Taner’s acceptance of the counterfeit notes was not indicative of criminal intent, referencing articles 18, 19, and 20 of the penal code. The judges resonated with her arguments, resulting in Taner’s provisional release, along with the customer. 

BBJ lawyer Mr. Révérien intervened, demonstrating that Jean was arbitrarily arrested without evidence. Mr. Révérien’s efforts revealed that the police had violated the law by arresting and detaining Jean unjustly. Consequently, Jean’s conviction was overturned, and he was released from custody.