A Burundian appeals court has partially acquitted journalist Sandra Muhoza, clearing her of undermining national unity while upholding a lesser conviction for racial hatred — a charge carrying a maximum sentence of two years. Muhoza, a reporter with La Nova Burundi, had been jailed for nearly two years over messages shared in a private WhatsApp group, and was released on parole on 4 March after appearing visibly weakened in court. The case has drawn sharp criticism from her legal team and family, who argue that holding her for close to two years for what ultimately resulted in a lighter conviction raises serious questions about judicial fairness and press freedom in Burundi (a landlocked East African nation ranked poorly in global press freedom indices).