The announcement was made by Lt. Col. Nkurikiye, a cybercrime specialist, during a briefing with journalists in Bujumbura. He explained that simply storing pornography on electronic devices even without distributing it is a criminal offence punishable by two to five years in prison and fines ranging from 2 million to 5 million Burundian francs (BIF).

Nkurikiye said the legislation places particular emphasis on protecting women and girls, who are most vulnerable to online abuse, including the forced sharing of intimate images or coercion into sexual acts through social media platforms.

The law sets out tougher penalties for several online offences, including:

• Producing or willingly sharing pornographic videos: 5–10 years in prison and fines of 20–30 million BIF

• Distributing someone’s private images without consent: 3–12 months in prison and fines of 50,000–100,000 BIF

• Impersonating someone online: 2–5 years in prison and fines of 10–20 million BIF

• Possessing intimate images with the intent to extort (sextortion): 2–5 years in prison and fines of 2–5 million BIF

• Keeping pornographic content on a mobile phone: 2–5 years in prison and fines of 2–5 million BIF

Police say the penalties are intended to curb sexual exploitation and protect young people, who are increasingly exposed to the harms associated with the misuse of digital technology.