[{"command":"settings","settings":{"pluralDelimiter":"\u0003","suppressDeprecationErrors":true,"ajaxPageState":{"libraries":"core\/picturefill,entity_embed\/caption,views\/views.ajax,views\/views.module","theme":"hrw_design","theme_token":null},"ajaxTrustedUrl":[],"views":{"ajax_path":"\/views\/ajax","ajaxViews":{"views_dom_id:blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__306850__en":{"view_name":"blog_live_feed","view_display_id":"blog_body_block","view_args":"306850","view_path":"\/blog\/content\/306850","view_base_path":null,"view_dom_id":"blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__306850__en","pager_element":0}}},"user":{"uid":0,"permissionsHash":"0ae5601d8790ff50fca3cf23b9ac9170285f2f75823ebdc8d9cc054bc03a679b"}},"merge":true},{"command":"add_css","data":"\u003Clink rel=\u0022stylesheet\u0022 media=\u0022all\u0022 href=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/css\/css_reI-6YIYy-k9pvxm-gaCRrn5cSrTZRtyAMrp4YXDUJw.css\u0022 \/\u003E\n"},{"command":"add_js","selector":"body","data":[{"src":"\/sites\/default\/files\/js\/js_VkK39bvB4H6LLVemwPFz8QWcUMTFqZ3FFo_LBVv_4vs.js"}]},{"command":"insert","method":"replaceWith","selector":".js-view-dom-id-blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__306850__en","data":"\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-view-dom-id-blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__306850__en\u0022\u003E\n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n\n \u003Cdiv\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Cdiv class=\u0022blog-block__content__description rich-text pt-6 mb:pt-10 mx-auto\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003E\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\u0022embed align-right embedded-entity embedded-entity-type-media embedded-entity-bundle-image embedded-entity-viewmode-embeddable embed--right\u0022\u003E\n \n\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \n \n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\u0022figure figure--expand text-center\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022figure__media relative inline-block mx-auto\u0022\u003E\n \u003Ca href=\u0022\/modal\/32736\u0022 rel=\u0022modal:open\u0022 class=\u0022figure__link\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cimg srcset=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/480w\/public\/multimedia_images_2017\/201707africa_drc_gabrieltambwe.jpg?itok=82BCammA 480w, \/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/embed_xxl\/public\/multimedia_images_2017\/201707africa_drc_gabrieltambwe.jpg?itok=Stgo_MnG 850w\u0022 sizes=\u0022(max-width: 524px) 100px, 500px\u0022 data-responsive-image-style=\u0022embedded_images\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/embed_xxl\/public\/multimedia_images_2017\/201707africa_drc_gabrieltambwe.jpg?itok=Stgo_MnG\u0022 width=\u0022850\u0022 height=\u00221512\u0022 alt=\u0022Gabriel Tambwe Mwidima\u0022 loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 typeof=\u0022foaf:Image\u0022 \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022figure__expand absolute block bottom-0 right-0 w-8 h-8 bg-white text-gray-700\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022sr-only\u0022\u003EClick to expand Image\u003C\/span\u003E\n \n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\u0022icon fill-current w-full inline-block\u0022\u003E\n \u003Csvg viewbox=\u00220 0 20 20\u0022 fill=\u0022currentColor\u0022 role=\u0022img\u0022 focusable=\u0022false\u0022 aria-hidden=\u0022true\u0022\u003E\u003Cuse xlink:href=\u0022\/themes\/custom\/hrw_design\/dist\/app-drupal\/assets\/spritemap.svg?cacheBuster=#sprite-expand\u0022\u003E\u003C\/use\u003E\u003C\/svg\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/a\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003Cfigcaption class=\u0022figure__info text-left font-serif text-xs md:text-sm lg:text-base mx-auto text-gray-700 mt-1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022figure__caption\u0022\u003EGabriel Tambwe Mwidima\n\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022figure__credit\u0022\u003E\u00a9 2017 Private\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s been 14 months since Congolese activist Gabriel Tambwe Mwidima was arrested and charged with \u201cthreatening state security.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003EDespite the seriousness of those charges, any threat to state security that Tambwe and 10 other accused supposedly caused has never materialized. Tambwe, director of a nongovernmental organization, \u0152uvre Sp\u00e9ciale pour les Amis Chr\u00e9tiens (OSAC), remains in Kinshasa\u2019s central prison awaiting trial. OSAC is a small Christian group that works for the protection of vulnerable groups, including children, and fights against neglected tropical diseases.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI don\u2019t know my fate,\u201d Tambwe told Human Rights Watch visitors to his prison. \u201cUntil now, there hasn\u2019t been any follow-up on my case. My wish is that I be released because I\u2019m innocent.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003EHis wife struggles with him: \u201cMy husband suffers a lot in prison. His parents are no longer alive, and his family is very poor. They don\u2019t have the resources to provide for us. Gabriel is innocent, and I hope that he will be released. I can\u2019t do anything alone.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003ETambwe\u2019s life began to unravel on May 13, 2016, when he was arrested by intelligence agents in Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003EA week before his arrest, on May 4, Congo\u2019s justice minister had announced an investigation into presidential aspirant Mo\u00efse Katumbi \u2013 President Joseph Kabila\u2019s main rival \u2013 for alleged \u201crecruitment of mercenaries, [including] several retired American soldiers.\u201d Tambwe was accused of having facilitated the entry of such \u201cAmerican mercenaries\u201d into Congo. While Tambwe\u2019s organization had invited four United States citizens to Congo on behalf of a partner organization, these individuals were never accused or found to have any links to Katumbi, no evidence emerged regarding the supposed recruitment of mercenaries, and Katumbi was never charged regarding these allegations. Katumbi was later charged and convicted \u003Cem\u003Ein absentia\u003C\/em\u003E in an \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/news\/2016\/09\/18\/democratic-republic-congo-precipice-ending-repression-and-promoting-democratic-rule\u0022\u003Eunrelated case\u003C\/a\u003E that also appeared to be politically motivated.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003EMore than a year later, the 38-year-old father of three remains in prison in Kinshasa. Tambwe was held incommunicado at the National Intelligence Agency (ANR) headquarters for a month before being transferred to Kinshasa\u2019s central prison. The 10 others who were arrested around the same time were also accused of having links to Katumbi.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhile I was at the ANR, they threatened me with death if I refused to denounce Mo\u00efse Katumbi,\u201d Tambwe said. \u201cBut I didn\u2019t do that.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003ETambwe\u2019s wife described her family\u2019s situation since her husband was arrested:\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u0026#13;\n\t\u003Cp\u003EI live with so many difficulties. Gabriel was the only person to support our family [financially]; I myself don\u2019t work. When he was arrested, our youngest son was still a baby. We\u2019ve had to move because I couldn\u2019t pay the rent anymore. I now stay with Gabriel\u2019s grandmother, in a very little house, in very harsh conditions. Our children get sick all the time and aren\u2019t in school any more.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Congolese authorities should drop all politically motivated charges and free Tambwe and the 10 others. No one should be detained for over a year merely because of alleged links to a political opposition leader.\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u0026#13;\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAcross the Democratic Republic of Congo, dozens of political opposition members and activists are in detention for participating in peaceful demonstrations, speaking out against election delays, criticizing government policies, or for their alleged links to opposition leaders. Many have been held in secret detention without charge or access to family or lawyers. Others have been put on trial on trumped-up charges. Many suffer regular beatings and horrendous living conditions, which have received little international attention\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u0026#13;\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n","settings":null}]