(RSF/IFEX) – RSF is protesting the four-year prison sentence delivered by the Court of Military Order against a journalist, with no possibility of appeal or parole. **Updates IFEX alerts of 26 March, 25 March, 16 March, 15 March and 19 January 1999** According to RSF’s information, on 30 March 1999, Thierry Kyalumba, editor-in-chief of the […]
(RSF/IFEX) – RSF is protesting the four-year prison sentence delivered by
the Court of Military Order against a journalist, with no possibility of
appeal or parole.
**Updates IFEX alerts of 26 March, 25 March, 16 March, 15 March and 19
January 1999**
According to RSF’s information, on 30 March 1999, Thierry Kyalumba,
editor-in-chief of the bi-weekly “Vision”, was sentenced to a four-year
prison term with no parole by the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Court
of Military Order. The journalist was found guilty of “compromising State
security.” The court blamed him for having written an article, under the
alias of Elvis Bumba, entitled “eighty tons of Ugandan missiles for the
Kasaï front.” He was arrested on 12 January and detained at the Kinshasa
central prison.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to the President:
than
exercise his professional duties as guaranteed by the International Covenant
on Civil and Political Rights, ratified by the DRC
impossibility of appealing decisions by the Court of Military Order
being tried by Kinshasa’s Court of Military Order
editors-in-chief who were arbitrarily detained for fifteen days
Appeals To
His Excellency Laurent-Désiré Kabila
President of the Democratic Republic of Congo
Ngaliema, Kinshasa
Democratic Republic of Congo
Fax: +243 88 02120 / +1 202 234 2609and/or c/o the diplomatic representative of your country:
(in the USA)
Embassy of the Democratic Republic of Congo
Fax: +1 202 345 2609Mission of the Democratic Republic of Congo to the United Nations
Fax: +1 212 319 8232(in France)
Embassy of the Democratic Republic of Congo
Fax: +33 1 42 89 80 09(in Canada)
Embassy of the Democratic Republic of Congo
Fax: +1 613 747 9152
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
