(JED/IFEX) – On Tuesday 6 November 2001, by instruction of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) Minister of Justice Ngele Masudi, the Kinshasa/Kalamu Magistates’ Court ordered the release of Freddy Loseke Lisumbu la Yayenga, director of “La Libre Afrique” newspaper. After his release, Loseke went back to his home, having spent five months and six […]
(JED/IFEX) – On Tuesday 6 November 2001, by instruction of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) Minister of Justice Ngele Masudi, the Kinshasa/Kalamu Magistates’ Court ordered the release of Freddy Loseke Lisumbu la Yayenga, director of “La Libre Afrique” newspaper.
After his release, Loseke went back to his home, having spent five months and six days in detention. He was first imprisoned in a Kinshasa/Kalamu Prosecutor’s Office cell. Later, he was transferred to Kinshasa’s Penitentiary and Reeducation Centre (Centre pénitentiaire et de rééducation de Kinshasa, CPRK, former Makala Central Prison).
Loseke was received the next day at JED’s secretariat. He appeared weakened and seemed to have lost a lot of weight during his long detention. He stated that he suffers from typhoid fever and malaria, and does not have the financial means to pay for the urgent medical attention he requires.
On 17 September, a Kinshasa/Pont Kasa-Vubu tribunal sentenced Loseke to five months’ imprisonment (including three months suspended) and twelve months’ imprisonment with no parole, for defamation, in two separate cases.
The first case against Loseke, for which the journalist was arrested on 30 April and detained at the CPRK, was brought forward by Sony Kafuta, pastor of the “Army of the Eternal” independent church and chaplain of the FAP (Popular Self-defence Forces, a paramilitary group of nationalist volunteers founded by the late president Laurent-Désiré Kabila). Kafuta was appointed by a decree of the head of state. In the 19 April edition of his newspaper, Loseke reported that Kafuta did not pay his debts.
The second case against the journalist was brought forward by a Belgian citizen, Vincent Jullet, manager of the private aviation company Walt’Air. In its 19 April edition, “La Libre Afrique” reported that, “having arrived in the DRC empty-handed, Walt’Air’s manager was taken in by a Congolese woman and … demonstrated unfair competition in his business practices.” Loseke, who was represented by five lawyers, had appealed the second ruling at the Kinshasa/Kalamu Magistrates’ Court.
