A/HRC/RES/33/24 freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly and association, creating a climate of intimidation and fear that paralyses the whole of society; 3. Expresses grave concern that the independent experts cannot exclude that some of these serious human rights violations and abuses constitute crimes against humanity; 4. Alarmed by information about the existence of unacknowledged places of detention, which include secret cells within national intelligence service (SNR) compounds, and the private residences of high-level officials; 5. Expresses grave concern about the reports that most of the violations and abuses are being committed by the Burundian security forces and the Imbonerakure in a climate of impunity; 6. Deplores the fact that, although in certain cases investigations into serious human rights violations and abuses have been launched, they have not yielded credible results; 7. Denounces all parties whose actions contribute to the persistence of violence and hinder the promotion of a peaceful solution to the crisis, including armed groups, such as the Imbonerakure; 8. Expresses concern about the situation of Burundian human rights defenders, many of whom are forced into exile, and calls upon the Government of Burundi to allow human rights defenders to work in Burundi, and to protect their human rights; 9. Strongly condemns all public statements coming from inside or outside the country that incite violence or hatred towards different groups in Burundian society, and demands that the Government of Burundi and other parties refrain from any statements or actions that could exacerbate tensions and publicly condemn any such statements, so as to take into account the best interests of the country and to respect fully the letter and the spirit of the Arusha Agreement, a backbone for peace and democracy; 10. Calls upon the Government of Burundi to respect, protect and guarantee all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, in line with the State’s international obligations, to adhere to the rule of law and to undertake transparent accountability for acts of violence; 11. Also calls upon the Government of Burundi to comply fully with its responsibilities and to ensure the safety and the protection of its population in full respect of international law; 12. Reaffirms its call on the Burundian authorities to conduct thorough and independent investigations of crimes involving serious violations and abuses of human rights so that all perpetrators, regardless of their affiliation, are held to account before a court; 13. Notes the opening by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in April 2016 of a preliminary examination into the situation in Burundi since April 2015, and recalls the obligations of Burundi as a State party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, including its obligation to fight impunity for crimes falling within the jurisdiction of the Court; 14. Also notes the reports of a decrease in the number of extrajudicial killings, and the steps taken by the Government of Burundi to withdraw some bans on media and civil society organizations, to cancel some arrest warrants and to release a number of detainees, calls for the immediate end to all extrajudicial killings and all other human rights 3