#FreeOurGirls: Twitter users reunite Burundian schoolgirls detained

Netizens rallied to the cause of three schoolgirls arrested for altering the photos of Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza following their example.

Grossly trafficked images of the leader are posted online under the hashtag, #FreeOurGirls.

Last week, the girls were accused of insulting the head of state and could spend up to five years in jail.

The Burundian authorities are regularly accused of repression of human rights and dissent.

Schoolgirls, aged 15, 16 and 17, were arrested two weeks ago after the president's image was tampered with in textbooks. Four other students arrested with them were later released.

Here are some of the images that have circulated online to support girls.

The father of one of the girls detained told the Human Rights Watch campaign group that they were too scared to eat.

HRW has called on the government to free schoolgirls and focus on combating abuses by security forces.

"The authorities must strive to ensure that perpetrators of serious human rights violations are held accountable rather than imprisoning schoolchildren for doodles," said Lewis Mudge. director of the group for Central Africa.

In a similar case, in 2016, several schoolchildren were jailed and hundreds of people were expelled for scribbling on pictures of the president's face.