30 December 1999

Alert

Court of Military Order acquits journalist Joseph Mbakulu


Incident details

Joseph Mbakulu Pambu Diana

journalist(s)

acquitted

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**Updates IFEX alerts of 14, 13 and 10 December, 19 October, 30 July and 26 March 1999 and 8 December 1998**

(JED/IFEX) - On Thursday 30 December 1999 at 12:10 p.m. (local time), the Court of Military Order (COM) acquitted journalist Joseph Mbakulu Pambu Diana.


Under the direction of Judge Edouard Phongo Bokako, the COM stated that "the charge of 'spreading false news' weighing against the defendent Mbakulu has not been established, in either fact or law." Immediately after the decision was rendered, a newly-free Mbakulu removed his yellow and gold coloured prisoner's uniform and left in his brother's automobile.

The journalist was arrested on 24 October 1998 and locked up at Kinshasa's Penitentiary and Reeducation Centre (Centre pénitentiaire et de rééducation de Kinshasa, CPRK), the former Matadi Central Prison, in connection with the taking of Matadi by rebels in late 1998.




Source:

Journaliste en danger
B.P. 633 - Kinshasa 1
374, av. Col. Mondjiba
Complexe Utexafrica, Galerie St Pierre, 1er niveau, Local 18 Kinshasa/Ngaliema
République Démocratique du Congo
direction (@) jed-afcentre.org
Phone: +243 81 99 29 323
Fax: +44 20 7900 3413
 

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More on this case

Released journalist Joseph Mbakulu holds press conference 7 January 2000 CPJ welcomes journalist's release, condemns appalling press freedom situation in DRC 31 December 1999 Prosecution seeks twelve-month prison sentence for journalist Mbakulu 14 December 1999 Journalists still detained, one faces four-year jail term 26 March 1999 Journalist arrested in Matadi 8 December 1998

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