In 2015, President Pierre Nkurunziza announced his intention to seek a third term, leading to widespread opposition and unrest. Nshimirimana helped to defeat the attempted coup d'état against Nkurunziza in May 2015 and was seen as the mastermind behind the crackdown on opposition protesters. Human Rights Watch accused Nshimirimana of becoming "one of the key hard-liners around the president." Nshimirimana's influence increased as the unrest and street protests against Nkurunziza continued in mid-2015. According to Carina Tertsakian of Human Rights Watch, "Despite or perhaps because of his brutal reputation, Adolphe was generally seen as untouchable, with no one in a position of power daring, or even suggesting, holding him to account."