On a recent visit to Bujumbura, Burundi’s capital, Amnesty International met several former demonstrators who were in hiding. They feared arrest, but not just arrest: what they especially feared was torture. The many graphic descriptions of torture that Amnesty International heard from former detainees during that same visit suggest that these fears are well grounded. The use of torture and other ill-treatment against persons who belong to, or are perceived as belonging to, the political opposition seems to be spreading and worsening. Several sources, including several human rights activists, as well as Burundian civil servants, also told Amnesty International that torture was on the rise in Burundi.
