Protesters in Congo call for the release of political prisoners, including 3 top opposition figures

KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Hundreds protested in front of Congo’s top court Wednesday to demand the release of political prisoners, including the country’s three most prominent opposition figures imprisoned on charges the opposition says are politically motivated.

Felix Tshisekedi, the president of the central African country which has a history riddled with political turmoil, was reelected in December with results questioned by the opposition. He has spent much of his time in office trying to gain legitimacy after a disputed 2018 election while struggling to quell violence in the country’s east to the disgruntlement of many.

Protesters in the capital, Kinshasa, held banners that read, “Release political prisoners”, with some chanting “Tshisekedi, you have killed our country!” Others barricaded and occupied the court’s entrance.

After the protest ended, representatives of several opposition parties handed the minister of justice a statement that accused Tshisekedi of trying to “muzzle the opponents” and to “silence dissenting voices.”

“We came to see the minister of justice to tell him that it is not normal that in a state governed by the rule of law, there are political prisoners who are imprisoned unjustly,” Fiston Mayas, a member of the main opposition party Together for the Republic, told The Associated Press.

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The parties called for the release of Jean-Marc Kabund, leader of the Alliance for Change party, Mike Mukebayi, a former member of the provincial parliament for Together for the Republic and Seth Kikuni, a candidate in the presidential elections last year.

Kabund and Mukebayi were arrested last year for “insulting the head of state” and “spreading false rumors.” Kabund was sentenced to 7 years in prison after he accused the president of corruption and embezzlement while Mukebayi is currently in prison awaiting trial.

Both are held at the notorious Makala Central Prison, Congo’s largest penitentiary which has a capacity for 1,500 people, but holds more than 12,000 inmates, most of whom are awaiting trial, Amnesty International said in its latest country report. Earlier this month, an attempted jailbreak at the prison left 129 people dead, including some who were shot by guards and soldiers and others who died in a stampede at the overcrowded facility, according to authorities.

Kikuni was arrested earlier this month for “incitement of civil disobedience” and “spreading false rumors.” He is being detained at the government intelligence agency, Erick Binga, a communications officer at the Ministry of Justice told the AP, without providing more details.

Last month, Congo announced its intention to apply for a seat at the UN Human Rights Council. The decision was heavily criticized by the opposition and various civil society organizations, including the Bill Clinton Peace Foundation which said Congo does not meet the conditions necessary to claim such a position of international responsibility and that the country’s human rights record would discredit the institution.

The Human Rights Council reviews the human rights records of all countries periodically, appoints independent investigators to report on issues like torture, and sends fact-finding missions to investigate rights violations.

The council has been criticized since its creation in 2006 because of some members’ poor rights records and claims that rights abusers seek seats to protect themselves and their allies.