Democratic Republic of Congo
17.08.01
Urgent Interventions
'D.R. Congo
Case COD 090500.3
Third follow-up case of Case COD 090500
Release
Geneva, November 9th, 2001
The International Secretariat of OMCT has received new information concerning the following situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
New Information
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by La Voix des Sans Voix pour les Droits de l’Homme (VSV), a member of the OMCT network, of the release of Freddy Loseke Lisumbu from the Centre penitentiaire et de réeducation de Kinshasa (CPRK – previously known as the Makala prison) in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
According to the information received, Freddy Loseke Lisumbu La Yayenga, editor of La Libre Afrique, was released following a presidential pardon by President Joseph Kabila from the CPRK on November 6th, 2001.
According to the information received, Mr. Loseke had been sentenced to two years imprisonment by a Congolese Court (Cour de Grande Instance) on May 16th, 2001 on grounds of defamation, having been arrested several days earlier.
Mr. Loseke had previously served another prison term based on similar grounds of defamation against the state. In May, 2000, Mr. Loseke had been sentenced to three years imprisonment, but was released seven months later also following a presidential pardon by the late President Laurent Désiré Kabila.
Remarks
OMCT welcomes the release of Mr. Freddy Loseke Lisumbu, and wishes to thank all those institutions, organisations and individuals who intervened on his behalf.
Geneva, November 9th, 2001
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
Third follow-up case of Case COD 090500
Release
Geneva, November 9th, 2001
The International Secretariat of OMCT has received new information concerning the following situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
New Information
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by La Voix des Sans Voix pour les Droits de l’Homme (VSV), a member of the OMCT network, of the release of Freddy Loseke Lisumbu from the Centre penitentiaire et de réeducation de Kinshasa (CPRK – previously known as the Makala prison) in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
According to the information received, Freddy Loseke Lisumbu La Yayenga, editor of La Libre Afrique, was released following a presidential pardon by President Joseph Kabila from the CPRK on November 6th, 2001.
According to the information received, Mr. Loseke had been sentenced to two years imprisonment by a Congolese Court (Cour de Grande Instance) on May 16th, 2001 on grounds of defamation, having been arrested several days earlier.
Mr. Loseke had previously served another prison term based on similar grounds of defamation against the state. In May, 2000, Mr. Loseke had been sentenced to three years imprisonment, but was released seven months later also following a presidential pardon by the late President Laurent Désiré Kabila.
Remarks
OMCT welcomes the release of Mr. Freddy Loseke Lisumbu, and wishes to thank all those institutions, organisations and individuals who intervened on his behalf.
Geneva, November 9th, 2001
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.