(CPJ/IFEX) – The following is a 22 December 1998 CPJ letter to Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Kabila further to the recent arrest of two journalists and the ongoing stream of attacks against journalists and independent media in DRC: **Updates IFEX alert of 21 December 1998** December 22, 1998 Laurent-Désiré Kabila President of the […]
(CPJ/IFEX) – The following is a 22 December 1998 CPJ letter to Democratic
Republic of Congo (DRC) President Kabila further to the recent arrest of two
journalists and the ongoing stream of attacks against journalists and
independent media in DRC:
**Updates IFEX alert of 21 December 1998**
December 22, 1998
Laurent-Désiré Kabila
President of the Republic Ngaliema, Kinshasa
Democratic Republic of Congo
VIA FAX: 011-243-88-02120 / 1-202-234-2609
Your Excellency:
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is writing to express deep
concern over the December 19, 1998, arrests of Yvette Idi Lupantsha and
Risasi Gisonga, respectively news presenter and editor for the state-owned
Radio et Télévision National du Congo (RTNC). To our knowledge, the arrest
of Idi marks the first case of a detention of a female journalist in the
Democratic Republic of Congo. CPJ is alarmed that, with the arrest of Idi
and Risasi, at least 67 journalists have incurred various forms of
government retaliation such as death threats and arbitrary detention for
their professional work in the Democratic Republic of Congo since Your
Excellency assumed power in May, 1997. And, according to our records, now
that Idi and Risasi are in government custody, 10 journalists are currently
in prison for exercising their right to report the news. This multitude of
press freedom violations demonstrates a blatant disregard for the most basic
standards of free expression established by international law.
Congolese National Police officers arrested Idi and Risasi without charge at
the Lingwala branch offices of the RTNC and transported them to the former
headquarters of the military district of Kinshasa (CIRCO), now utilized by
police special services. There, the journalists were held in the same cell,
awaiting interrogation by a police commander. Two days earlier, at RTNC,
National Information Agency (ANR) security agents attempted to detain the
journalists for questioning. Idi and Risasi were accused of being “traitors
to the republic” and of having acted as spies for the United States for
giving
copies of a video cassette of a press conference held by Your Excellency to
the U.S. Ambassador, William Swing.
As a nonpartisan organization of journalists dedicated to the defense of our
colleagues worldwide, CPJ regards the arrest and continued detention of Idi
and Risasi as violations of journalists’ right to seek, receive, and impart
information and ideas of all kinds. These rights are guaranteed by Article
19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 19 of the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and Article 9 of the
African Charter of Human and People’s Rights, to all of which, we
respectfully remind Your Excellency, the Democratic Republic of Congo is a
signatory.
CPJ urges Your Excellency to immediately and unconditionally release Idi and
Risasi. We urge you to ensure the right of all journalists in the
Democratic Republic of Congo to report the news freely and without reprisal.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter. We welcome your
comments.
Sincerely,
Ann K. Cooper
Executive Director
Mukendi Kabila, Minister-Councilor, Embassy of the Democratic Republic of
Congo, United States
Faida Mitifu, Chargé d’Affaires, Embassy of the Democratic Republic of
Congo, United States
William Swing, U.S. Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo
Abid Hussain, UN Special Rapporteur, Freedom of Opinion and Expression
Unites States Information Service (USIS)
TransAfrica
World Bank
International Monetary Fund
United States Agency for International Development
African Correspondents Association
Newspaper Association of America
American Society of Newspaper Editors
Amnesty International
Article 19 (United Kingdom)
Artikel 19 (The Netherlands)
Canadian Journalists for Free Expression
Congressional Committee to Support Writers and Journalists
Freedom House
Human Rights Watch
Index on Censorship
International Association of Broadcasting
International Federation of Journalists
International Journalism Institute
International PEN
International Press Institute
National Press Club
The Newspaper Guild
North American Broadcasters Association
Reporters Sans Frontieres
Overseas Press Club
The Society of Professional Journalists
World Press Freedom Committee
Similar appeals can be sent to:
Appeals To
Mr. Laurent-Désiré Kabila
President of the Republic
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
Fax: +243 88 02120 / +1 202 234 2609
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
