Human Rights Defender Arrested in Democratic Republic of Congo, February 2004
Human Rights Defender Télesphore Namukama, was reportedly arrested on the 12th of February, by agents of the Direction de Securitte et Renseignements (D.S.R.). He is currently being held in detention in a DSR cell in Bukavu, without formal charges or access to a lawyer. The detention is reportedly in connection with his statement on a radio program that people with bad motivations had used the timing of the visit of the President to get media attention for the assassinations they were carrying out, in order to jeopardize efforts by the government to restore security.
On Wednesday morning (11 February 04), members of the Intelligence Service reportedly entered the office of Héritiers de la Justice, asking for Mr. Télesphore Namukama. It is reported that they didn’t have a warrant allowing them to enter the offices, and that they did not find Mr. Télesphore Namukama. It is further reported that the Director of Héritiers de la Justice phoned the Head of the Direction de Sécurité et Renseignements (D.S.R.), who reportedly told him that he wanted M. Télésphore to call to his office to clarify the statement about the visit of the Vice President of the DRC, Azarias Ruberwa Manwa, made on the radio program « Tuitetee Haki », which was broadcast on Tuesday, 10 February 2004.
On Thursday, 12 Febuary 2004, M. Télésphore went to the office of the DSR, accompanied by a lawyer and a staff member and administrator from Héritiers de la Justice. The meeting with the director went on from 14.00 to 19.30. They discussed the radio program, and the director asked M. Télésphore to read out the text of his statements on the program. M. Télésphore read out what he had said on the program. The Director said there was nothing offensive in the text, but that M. Télésphore had in fact insulted the Vice President. At approximately 19.30, the Director decided to arrest him. He has been in detention since then. He has not been formally charged or given access to a lawyer.