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Human Rights Watch Calls On The Government Of The Democratic Republic Of Congo To Retract Threats Against Student Activists

In a letter to President Laurent Kabila, Human Rightss Watch calls on the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo to retract threats against student activists who organized a political rally at the University of Kinshasa on June 26 that featured veteran opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi.

He was released on the next day, after warnings to stay out of politics because he "bothers the country's new authorities." As has become widely reported, the new government has decreed a ban on all political activities in violation of international norms. According to reliable reports that reached Human Rights Watch/Africa, at least seven student activists who took part in the organization of the rally went into hiding when they learned that security agents were actively searching for them. One student was reportedly abducted on Monday, June 30, from Kinshasa stadium during president Kabila's independence day speech. He was reportedly badly tortured in detention, and released on Wednesday on condition that he cooperate with security officials in locating the whereabouts of his colleagues. He was given until Sunday to accomplish this, and was threatened that he would be killed if he failed to deliver his colleagues.

Human Rights Watch/Africa urges the new authorities to respect the students' internationally recognized rights to freedom of association, assembly and expression. The human rights organization will monitor the situation closely and will hold the government responsible if the grave threats against the life and safety of the student activists are carried out.

A copy of the letter follows.

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July 3, 1997

Laurent Kabila
President, Democratic Republic of Congo
Palais de la Nation
Kinshasa, Gombe

Your Excellency:

We are writing on behalf of Human Rights Watch/Africa and the Academic Freedom Committee to express our grave concern over recent government threats against student leaders who organized an opposition rally on June 26, 1997 that featured veteran opposition figure Etienne Tshisekedi as keynote speaker.

According to reliable reports, at least seven students who took part in organizing the rally went into hiding when they learned that security agents were actively searching for them. One student reportedly was abducted on Monday, June 30 while attending the independence day speech given by Your Excellency at Kinshasa stadium. The student is said to have been tortured in detention over a two-day period, and was only released on condition that he cooperate with security officials in locating the other students. He reportedly was told that he would be killed if he did not deliver his colleagues by Sunday, July 6.

As already has been widely reported, Mr. Tshisekedi himself was detained after government troops raided his house following the June 26 rally. Although he was released the next day, he reportedly was told to stay out of politics with the warning that he "bothers the country's new authorities." The government has been similarly overt in its threats against the students, and, in a national television broadcast, the army chief of staff reportedly labeled the students "enemies of the public."

As academic leaders, scientists and scholars dedicated to human rights, we deplore the use of torture and threats of violence to intimidate and subdue student protestors. We respectfully call on the new government of the Democratic Republic of Congo to guarantee publicly and unconditionally the safety of the students and to acknowledge and respect the students' internationally recognized rights to freedom of expression and assembly. We will continue to monitor the situation and will hold the government responsible before the international community should the threats against any of the students be carried out.

Thank you for your consideration of this important matter. We look forward to your reply.

Sincerely,

Jonathan Fanton
Co-Chair, Academic Freedom Committee

Peter Takirumbudde
Human Rights Watch/Africa

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