Front Line is concerned following reports of the recent intimidation of human rights defender Mr Christian Namegabe Maheshe. Christian Namegabe Maheshe is a member of Réseau national des ONG pour le Développement de la Femme en République Démocratique du Congo – RENADEF (National NGO Network for Women's Development in the Democratic Republic of the Congo - DRC) based in Uvira, South Kivu.

Further Information

RENADEF has set up a programme for the protection and assistance of women and girls victims of violence in the Eastern part of the DRC. The organisation provides legal assistance to women victims of violence, in particular sexual violence.

On 8 April 2009, Christian Namegabe Maheshe was called in by the office of the public prosecutor at the court of first instance in Uvira in relation to 250 cases of sexual violence against women and girls that he had reported to the office of the public prosecutor on behalf of RENADEF. The public prosecutor allegedly stated that his office would issue summonses against the alleged perpetrators of the 250 cases reported, but intimated to Christian Namegabe Maheshe to deliver the summonses himself and bring the alleged perpetrators before the prosecutor. It is reported that the public prosecutor also threatened that if he failed to do so Christian Namegabe Maheshe and RENADEF would be prosecuted for abuse of the justice system. On 23 April, a second summons to appear before the prosecutor was delivered to Christian Namegabe Maheshe. During the meeting, the same request and threat were reiterated.

Front Line believes that the request by the public prosecutor that Christian Namegabe Maheshe deliver the summonses is illegitimate and would expose him to the reaction and retaliation by the alleged perpetrators he had denounced. Front Line further believes that the threat to prosecute Christian Namegabe Maheshe and RENADEF for abuse of the justice system constitutes an attempt to intimidate them and prevent them from assisting victims of sexual violence and reporting their cases to the justice system.