There is therefore little chance of redress for any who have been unfairly convicted. The judiciary is not independent or impartial. Urgent reform is needed to ensure greater impartiality and independence. Its impartiality is further perceived to be compromised by its composition, which is overwhelmingly dominated by judicial officials from the Tutsi ethnic group. Military courts similarly cannot guarantee impartiality.
Prison conditions are also harsh and aggravated by severe overcrowding.
Between January and April, more than 200 people died in detention in Ngozi prison. The prison, which has a capacity of 400, holds over 2,408 people. Amnesty International is also campaigning against the use of the death penalty in Burundi. Six people have already been executed from the first trials. At least 260 people are now under sentence of death in Burundi.