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Ban lifted on Net Press news agency

    NAIROBI

    Burundian Communications Minister Albert Mbonerane on Saturday lifted the suspension of the right of the private news agency Net Press to publish or post news on its web site, Net Press Editor-in-Chief Claude Sibomana told IRIN on Monday.

    "The keys to our office were returned to us on Saturday. We are very grateful to all our colleagues who helped negotiate our reinstatement with the minister," Sibomana said.

    The suspension of Net Press was ordered by Mbonerane on 14 January, on the grounds that the news agency had not been observing Burundi's media law.

    "For some time now, we have noted that Net Press editors and management have not been respecting the media law of March 1997, which stipulates that the media should avoid publishing information that is subversive, defamatory, abusive, false or even lies that are published with the sole aim of disturbing the prevailing situation in the country," Mbonerane told Burundi Radio at the time.

    The country's public prosecutor had submitted the Net Press file to Mbonerane for scrutiny, he added, "so that urgent and fitting measures are taken to protect the media law and public order".

    Sibomana told IRIN that Net Press planned to resume publication on Monday.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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