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Tortured & Left for Dead, Burundi Man Lives to See World Refugee Day

Filipa Rodrigues for KUT News

Every year, the United Nations commemorates the creation of the UN Refugee Agency with World Refugee Day, a day that serves to draw attention to those displaced by conflict and persecution.

KUT News spoke with Desire Nizigiyimana about his experience in the Burundi civil war.

He says that if it wasn’t for the UN Refuge Agency, he may have never made it out of Burundi alive. To learn more, watch the video below.

"The government police came to my house. They were supposed to protect me, but [instead] of protecting me, they were given a special job to kill me slowly. I have been tortured until the person who was torturing me thought I was dead, and then they threw me in the forest. After a long period, I found my spirit and I was able to move."

Today, Austin is celebrating World Refugee Day at the Bullock Texas State History Museum. The event  features a roundtable discussion with Austin refugees, live music and a citizenship ceremony to welcome Texas' newest citizens.

Andrew Weber is a general assignment reporter for KUT, focusing on criminal justice, policing, courts and homelessness in Austin and Travis County. Got a tip? You can email him at aweber@kut.org. Follow him on Twitter @England_Weber.
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