The government in Burundi has been accused of repressing the media after foiling an attempted military coup.

On Friday, after two days of heavy fighting, the attempted coup led by the high-ranking figures of the country’s armed forces, failed, with its leaders conceding defeat.

Seventeen alleged leaders of the coup have appeared in court, charged with attempting to overthrow the president.

Top military and security figures on trial include General Cyrille Ndayirukiye and top police commissioners Zenon Ndabaneze and Hermenegilde Nimenya.

However, the leader of the coup, General Godefroid Niyombare, who is also a former intelligence chief, is still at large.

Meanwhile, government critics say forces loyal to the president have cracked down on opposition media, subjecting journalists to threats. The head of the RPA radio station, who supported the coup, has fled the country over fear of reprisal, as well.

“They want to break the journalists’ morale. There is harassment, phone calls, threats, blacklists. Some have gone into exile, others are in hiding,” said Innocent Muhozi, the head of the Burundian Press Observatory.

Niyombare had used RPA radio station to announce his bid to overthrow Nkurunziza, and independent media have been accused of stirring unrest against the president, which has left around 25 people dead.

However, opposition groups have already called for the continuation of street rallies to protest against the president’s bid for a third term in office, which sparked unrest and apparently the coup in the first place.

The groups believe it is unconstitutional for President Pierre Nkurunziza, who has been in office since 2005, to run for another term in the upcoming presidential election.

Nkurunziza, however, says his first term in office did not count because he was elected back then by the parliament, not directly by the people.

In a speech after the coup’s failure, Nkurunziza thanked the forces loyal to him and called for an immediate end to the unrest in the country.