DRC: Journalist detained and beaten on justice minister's orders
Symplice Kalunga wa Kalunga, a journalist and host of the political affairs programme "Nouvelle donne", which airs on the private television network Channel Media Broadcasting (CMB), was arrested at the network's headquarters on October 29. He was taken in for questioning by police detectives possessing a summons, who were accompanied by armed members of the national police. The journalist was assaulted at the time of arrest, forced into a vehicle and handcuffed while being taken to the Kinshasa/Gombe Public Prosecutor's Office.
IFEX - News from the international freedom of expression community
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ALERT - DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
3 November 2003
Journalist detained and beaten on justice minister's orders
SOURCE: Journaliste en danger (JED), Kinshasa
(JED/IFEX) - On 29 October 2003 at around noon (local time), Symplice Kalunga wa
Kalunga, a journalist and host of the political affairs programme "Nouvelle
donne", which airs on the private television network Channel Media Broadcasting
(CMB), was arrested at the network's headquarters. He was taken in for
questioning by police detectives possessing a summons, who were accompanied by
armed members of the national police.
The journalist was assaulted at the time of arrest, forced into a vehicle and
handcuffed while being taken to the Kinshasa/Gombe Public Prosecutor's Office.
Kalunga was then interrogated about a programme broadcast on 23 October during
which he spoke with Kudura Kasongo, president of the Front for Social
Integration (Front pour l'intégration sociale, FIS), a political party. Kasongo
evaluated the government's first 100 days in power, covering a full range of
issues, including the justice system. Kalunga's interrogators pressed him about
whether he acknowledged insulting Justice Minister Kisimba Ngoy during the
programme. The journalist did not admit to this, unless one were to consider his
guest's criticism of the justice minister's actions to be an insult.
The journalist was kept in custody and finally released at 6:00 p.m. after
Kasongo turned himself in, saying he took full responsibility for his remarks.
The tape containing the programme was seized.
JED denounces the journalist's unjustified detention and the exploitation of the
justice system by Ngoy, who has abused his power as minister.
For further information, contact D. M'Baya Tshimanga, president, Journaliste en
danger (JED), B.P. 633 Kinshasa 1, Democratic Republic of Congo, tel. +243 99 29
323, +243 815 13 05 85, fax: +243 88 01 625, e-mail: [email protected],
[email protected], Internet: http://www.jed-congo.org
The information contained in this alert is the sole responsibility of JED. In
citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit JED.
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