Burundi: Last batch of political prisoners freed

Burundi has freed a final batch of 1,846 political prisoners, including some accused of involvement in ethnic massacres and the assassination of the president in 1993. Human rights activists, including the largest group Ligue Iteka, said they wanted the constitutional court to cancel the releases arguing it was against Burundi's constitution and international law to free detainees charged with murder. Some 1,453 prisoners were released in January and February as part of a plan by President Pierre Nkurunziza to free all prisoners accused of politically-motivated crimes during the tiny central African nation's civil war.