A/HRC/RES/45/19 at alleged serious irregularities during the electoral process, such as infringements of fundamental freedoms, political intolerance, violent clashes between members of the contending political parties, arrests of numerous political opponents and the lack of plurality and political independence of the Independent National Electoral Commission; 3. Also deplores the shrinking space for civil society and citizens’ activism that prevailed during the pre-electoral period, and all acts of violence, harassment, intimidation and restrictions on civil and political rights and fundamental freedoms, and the tolerance of hate speech messages with political and ethnic dimensions that circulate unrestricted on social media, and expresses deep concern at the arbitrary arrest, detention and criminalization of human rights defenders, journalists, bloggers and civil society activists; 4. Urges the Government of Burundi to fight the impunity enjoyed by perpetrators of grave crimes, including members of the security forces and the youth league of the ruling party Conseil national pour la défense de la démocratie – Forces pour la défense de la démocratie, known as the Imbonerakure, who have been carrying out extrajudicial killings, arresting people arbitrarily and threatening and harassing perceived political opponents throughout the country; 5. Condemns the widespread impunity for all human rights violations and abuses and related crimes, while noting that two recent prosecutions have resulted in the conviction of members of the Imbonerakure, the Conseil national pour la défense de la démocratie – Forces pour la défense de la démocratie, the local administration and the police; 6. Reaffirms its call upon the Burundian authorities to guarantee equal access to justice for all, to conduct full, impartial, independent, effective and thorough investigations into all human rights violations and abuses, to hold perpetrators, regardless of their affiliation, accountable for their criminal actions before a court, and to provide fair, effective and prompt remedies to victims, including adequate reparation; 7. Reiterates its urgent call upon the Government of Burundi to immediately put an end to all human rights violations and abuses and to ensure full respect for and protection and fulfilment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, including the freedoms of opinion and expression, peaceful assembly and association, to ensure the safety, physical integrity and protection of its population, to strengthen the separation of powers with parliamentary oversight and the independence of the judiciary, the rule of law and good governance, and to end impunity for all violations and abuses, including sexual and genderbased violence, while acknowledging the first positive acts undertaken by the Government since the recent election; 8. Expresses particular concern at accounts of persistent sexual violence, including rape, affecting mostly women and girls but also men and boys and aimed at intimidating, controlling, repressing or punishing the victims of such violence for their supposed or actual political opinions or affiliation, and at the structural nature of such violence, and calls upon the Government of Burundi to prevent such violations and abuses and to bring perpetrators to justice in order to fight impunity; 9. Urges the Government of Burundi to provide a political, legal and administrative environment in which fundamental freedoms can flourish, that is conducive to a free and functioning civil society and in which free and safe operations and access to funding are ensured, including through foreign sources; 10. Also urges the Government of Burundi to release all human rights defenders, journalists and prisoners of conscience who have been arbitrarily arrested, detained or arrested solely for the peaceful exercise of their human rights, and encourages the Government to consider releasing them on humanitarian grounds, notably as part of its response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) health crisis; 11. Further urges the Government of Burundi to promote and protect the right to freedom of opinion and expression and the freedom, pluralism and independence of the media and to foster a safe environment for all journalists and other media workers, enabling them to carry out their work independently, without intimidation or undue interference and without fear of violence or persecution; 3