[225]Numerous embassies issued statements condemning Sinduhije’s detention, and high-profile European diplomats, including French Minister of Human Rights Rama Yade and European Union Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aide Louis Michel, raised the case with Burundian officials. U.S. Department of State, “Statement by the U.S. Embassy in Burundi: Arrest of Prominent Burundian Journalist, Alexis Sinduhije,” Bujumbura, November 7, 2008; FCO Spokesperson, “Press Release From the United Kingdom’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office on November 7, 2008”; “Déclaration de l’Union Européenne,” Bujumbura, November 7, 2008; Human Rights Watch interviews with diplomats, March 2009.