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http://www.africanews.org/central/congo-kinshasa/stories/19990204_feat1.html
Five journalists arrested
February 4, 1999
Toronto - The following document was released by Reporters sans frontieres (RSF),
Paris: RSF is protesting the arbitrary arrest of five journalists in Kinshasa.
According to RSF's information, on Wednesday, 3 February 1999, plainclothes
members of the information service detained Moise Musangana, Veron-Clement Kongo,
Godefroid Ngamisata, Theodore Ngangu and Emmanuel Katshunga, respectively
director, assistant editor-in-chief and reporters, at the offices of the
newspaper "Potentiel".
The five journalists are being held in underground cells of the National Information Agency. They are allegedly blamed for publishing articles which are severely critical of certain aspects of the new law regulating political parties.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Send appeals to the President: - vigorously protesting the arbitrary arrests and
expressing concern for the poor treatment that the journalists may be subject to
- suggesting to him that, to your knowledge, the journalists did nothing more
than exercise their right to inform, as guaranteed in the International Covenant
on Civil and Political Rights, ratified by the Democratic Republic of Congo,
which stresses that everyone has the right to spread information
APPEALS TO:
Mr. Laurent-Desire Kabila President Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo Fax:
+243 88 02120 / +1 202 234 2609
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
For further information, contact Jean-Francois Julliard or Frederic Lesain at RSF, rue Geoffroy Marie, Paris 75009, France, tel: +33 1 44 83 84 84, fax: +33 1 45 23 11 51, e-mail: afrique@rsf.fr, Internet: http://www.rsf.fr
The information contained in this action alert is the sole responsibility of RSF. In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit RSF.
Distributed by The International Freedom Of Expression Exchange Clearing House, 489 College St. Suite 403, Toronto, Ontario M6G 1A5 CANADA, tel: +1 416 515 9622, fax: +1 416 515 7879, e-mail: ifex@ifex.org, Internet site: http://www.ifex.org/.
Distributed via Africa News Online(www.africanews.org). If this item is redistributed, published or used for broadcast, the content must not be changed and credit must by given to The International Freedom Of Expression Exchange.