(JED/IFEX) – The following is a 1 July 2001 JED press release: The minister of human rights lied: Freddy Loseke remains imprisoned On Sunday 24 June 2001, at the opening of the National Conference on Human Rights (Conférence nationale sur les droits de l’homme, CNDH), in response to a question asked by a delegate from […]
(JED/IFEX) – The following is a 1 July 2001 JED press release:
The minister of human rights lied: Freddy Loseke remains imprisoned
On Sunday 24 June 2001, at the opening of the National Conference on Human Rights (Conférence nationale sur les droits de l’homme, CNDH), in response to a question asked by a delegate from the International Federation of Human Rights Leagues (Fédération Internationale des ligues des droits de l’homme, FIDH) concerning the imprisonment of Freddy Loseke Lisumbu La Yayenga, publisher of the newspaper La Libre Afrique, the minister of human rights, Mr. Ntumba Luaba, stated that the journalist was released the previous evening, on Saturday 23 June 2001.
Journaliste en danger (JED) is scandalised to conclude that the minister of human rights did not tell the truth. Freddy Loseke is still locked up in Kinshasa’s Penitentiary and Reeducation Centre (Centre pénitentiaire et de rééducation de Kinshasa, CPRK, formerly the Makala central prison). On Sunday 1 July 2001, JED noted that the journalist remains imprisoned and that he was surprised to hear that the minister had stated, via public media outlets, that he had been released. In fact, Loseke was simply transferred from Pavilion 3, which is reserved for robbers and other criminals, to Pavilion 7, cell 2/B, where conditions are marginally better.
Freddy Loseke was arrested on 30 May 2001 and taken to the underground cells of the Kinshasa/Kalamu public prosecutor’s office. He was transferred to Pavilion 3 of the CPRK on 31 May 2001. He is charged with slander against Pastor Sony Kafuta of the “Lord’s Army” Church, who is also chaplain of the FAP (Popular Self-defence Forces, Forces d’autodéfense populaire), a paramilitary group created by the late president Laurent-Désiré Kabila. In issue 172 of 15 May 2001, La Libre Afrique published an article titled: “Insolvency duly established. Soni-Kafuta(ko) of the satanic army owes US$400 to the Major Garage on Force Publique Avenue”. The newspaper accused Mr. Sony Kafuta of habitually not paying his debts. The example of his US$400 debt accrued for repairs to a vehicle was given, as was another unspecified US$1,000 debt. The newspaper claims that in order to avoid paying his debts, the pastor reportedly said “Go ahead and accuse me everywhere, I am the brother of the person in power. Nobody will do anything to me.”
To recall, Loseke was released on 4 January 2001, further to a pardon by the late president Laurent-Désiré Kabila, after spending 369 in detention. The journalist was sentenced by the COM (Court of Military Order) to three years’ imprisonment with no parole for “slandering the army”. In late December 1999, La Libre Afrique had accused army officers of plotting against Laurent-Désiré Kabila.
Kinshasa, 1 July 2001
Mwamba wa ba Mulamba
Secretary-General
D. M’Baya Tshimanga
President
