Write a letter. Change a life.
Our virtual Write for Rights event is less than a week away. I’d like to welcome Amnesty International St Louis (Group 105), which has recently joined us to host the event. The registration page for the event is here. As we approach December 10, International Human Rights Day, I’d like to focus on one of the seven Write for Rights cases each day. I’ll start with Germain Rukuki.
Germain Rukuki is a human rights defender in Burundi. He was arrested in 2017 by security forces there then sentenced to 32 years in prison. His imprisonment apparently stemmed from his work for the Association of Christians Against Torture (ACAT), which had organized mass protests in 2015 against then-President Pierre Nkurunziza’s bid for a third term, which was widely considered unconstitutional. The protests were violently dispersed by government security forces and the ruling party. Human rights advocates like Germain Rukuki were then targeted by the government.
Since these troubling events, a new government has taken power in Burundi; and its current president, President Evariste Ndayishimiye, has voiced strong support for human rights. With this promising change in affairs, now is the time to urge the release of Germain Rukuki from his unjust imprisonment. With a letter, you can change Germain Rukuki’s life for the better. Join us to help make this happen.
If you’d like to learn more about Germain Rukuki’s case, you can find additional information here. An online petition urging the release of Germain Rukuki can be found here.