(JED/IFEX) – Freddy Loseke Lisumbu, publisher of the thrice-weekly “La Libre Afrique”, published in Kinshasa, appeared once again on Wednesday 3 May 2000 before the Court of Military Order (Cour d’ordre militaire, COM). The prosecutor, military commander Jérôme Lobenga, revised the reasons for detention. Loseke is no longer being prosecuted for “propagation of false rumours” […]
(JED/IFEX) – Freddy Loseke Lisumbu, publisher of the thrice-weekly “La Libre Afrique”, published in Kinshasa, appeared once again on Wednesday 3 May 2000 before the Court of Military Order (Cour d’ordre militaire, COM).
The prosecutor, military commander Jérôme Lobenga, revised the reasons for detention. Loseke is no longer being prosecuted for “propagation of false rumours” but rather for “insulting the army”, in accordance with Article 456 of the military Code of Justice that provides for a prison sentence of ten years. In the opinion of the prosecutor, “the journalist should not benefit from extenuating circumstances because he tried to escape from his cell at the Kokolo military base on the eve of his first hearing.”
Loseke has been jailed since 31 December 1999, for publishing information suggesting there was a plot within the Congolese army against President Laurent-Désiré Kabila. The information appeared in issues 145 and 146 of his newspaper.
In the opinion of the journalist’s defence team, composed of six lawyers, since the material and moral elements constituting the offence of insulting the army have not been demonstrated by the prosecutor, Loseke should simply be acquitted while reserving the right to refer to the courts for compensation for harm suffered.
Speaking after the closing speech for the prosecution and the speech for the defence, the journalist said, “I expect that the court will clear my name. Because, by clearing my name, this trial will also clear the name of the court which has a bad reputation among the Congolese people, who are already demanding its abolition.”
The case has been taken into deliberation. According to the law, the decision will be known within eight days. Loseke, who has suffered from kidney problems for many months, appeared physically diminished and very thin before the COM.
