(JED/IFEX) – Journalist in Distress (JED) has condemned the questioning and treatment of two international journalists, on 26 October 2006, at a Kinshasa penitentiary (Centre Pénitentiaire et de Rééducation de Kinshasa, CPRK) by elements of the national Congolese police. With just a few days to go before the second run-off of the presidential election, JED […]
(JED/IFEX) – Journalist in Distress (JED) has condemned the questioning and treatment of two international journalists, on 26 October 2006, at a Kinshasa penitentiary (Centre Pénitentiaire et de Rééducation de Kinshasa, CPRK) by elements of the national Congolese police. With just a few days to go before the second run-off of the presidential election, JED wants to remind the Congolese authorities of their obligation to guarantee the safety of journalists.
On 26 October, Arnaud Zajtman and Marlène Rabaud, journalists with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and Reuters TV Agency respectively, were questioned by Congolese police officers in front of the CPRK. The police pointed a Kalashnikov machine gun at both of the journalists, and made Zajtman kneel down, before forcing both of them into a police car. After spending three hours in the car, the journalists were driven to Kin Mazière (the headquarters of police special services) where they were released without following legal procedures.
After 14 prisoners escaped from CPRK on 24 October 2006, both of the journalists went to cover the revolt of prisoners who were demanding food. The police commissioned to guard the prison shot bullets into the air to calm prisoners who were trying to escape during the riot.
