JOINT PUBLIC STATEMENT

[Goma (RD Congo)] 21 January 2022.

We, the 35 signatory organizations, urge the Congolese authorities to release the 13 human rights defenders (HRDs) of LUCHA, arbitrarily detained in the town of Beni after having organized a peaceful demonstration denouncing the killings of civilians in this part of the Province of North Kivu. These 13 HRDs have been deprived of their rights and freedoms for two months, even though the right to peaceful demonstration is recognized and guaranteed by the constitution of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in Article 26.

The HRDs were arrested and detained in the Beni prison on Thursday, November 11, 2021, while they were organizing a peaceful demonstration to denounce the repeated killings and massacres of civilians that persist despite the proclamation of a state of siege in the Province of North Kivu and in the Province of Ituri. The 13 HRDs of the LUCHA will once again be brought before the judge (garrison military tribunal) on Friday, January 21, 2022.

Prosecuted before the Beni Garrison Military Tribunal under RP 2136 for insurrection, incitement to revolt, and disobedience to the law, acts provided for and punished by article 137 of the military penal code, the HRDs were presented before the judge on January 7, 2022. After their identification, the Court postponed the case to the hearing on Friday, January 21, 2022, for the beginning of the investigation.

If the charges against these activists are confirmed, these HRDs face serious penalties, namely between five and twenty years of penal servitude, or worse life imprisonment.

Due to their poor conditions of detention, the health of one of the HRDs has seriously deteriorated. The HRD has been admitted to a local medical facility, but her condition remains alarming and requires adequate medical care.

The following signatory organizations express their deep concern about the increase in threats, intimidation, and arbitrary arrests of human rights defenders and artists in the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri, under a state of siege since May 2021. These practices constitute serious human rights violations and are not consistent with the rule of law advocated by the Congolese government.

Since the state of siege was declared, more than 21 LUCHA activists have been arrested. Two have been provisionally released while another, fearing for his safety, has been forced into hiding. From January to November 2021, the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office (UNJHRO) documented 6,469 human rights violations throughout the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The signatory organizations strongly condemn the restriction of civic space in the provinces under siege and encourage Congolese authorities at all levels to listen carefully to the distress calls of civil society activists and citizens.

Spokespersons :

• Primary (francophone): Deward Bushala, Protection officer PI DRC: dbushala [at] protectioninternational.org

• Secondary (anglophone): Francis Ndegwa, Regional Advocacy Officer PI Afrique: Francis.ndegwa [at] protectioninternational.org

Signatories:

• Protection International

• Protection international Afrique

• Coalition des femmes défenseures des droits humains du Nord-Kivu et Sud-Kivu et ses 42 organisations membres et ses 42 membres – RDC

• APADEC – RDC

• Africa Women Justice Hub – Kenya

• Women HRDs Hub – Kenya

• Kalkal Human Rights Development Organization – Somalia

• Haki Africa – Kenya

• Action 54 – South Sudan

• Defenders Coalition – Kenya

• Bunge Mashinani Initiative – Kenya

• Ethiopia Human Rights Defenders Centre – Ethiopia

• Réseaux des Défenseurs des Droits Humains en Afrique Centrale – Cameroon

• Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition – Tanzania

• Free Press Unlimited – Netherlands

• South Sudan HRDs Network – South Sudan

• European Network for Central Africa

• Coalition des Volontaires pour la Paix et le Développement (CVPD) – RDC

• Groupe d’Action de Défense des Droits Humains et de la paix (GADHOP) – RDC

• Association pour le développement et initiatives paysannes (ASSODIP) – RDC

• Protection et Solidarité – RDC

• RPDHVT – RDC

• Lliga dels Drets dels Pobles (LDP)

• Réseau VIWINE – RDC

• Groupe Ukingo wa watetezi (GRUWA) avec ses 45 membres – RDC

• Tournons La Page

• South Africa Human Rights Defenders Network – South Africa

• West Africa Human Rifhts Defenders Network – Togo

• Association africaine de défense des droits de l’homme (ASADHO) – RDC

• REPRODEV – RDC

• Action Congolaise pour le respect des droits Humains – RDC

• National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders Uganda – Uganda

• Commission Justice & Paix – Belgium

• Centre national de cooperation au développement, CNCD-11.11.11 – Belgium

• EurAc – European Network for Central Africa