Title: The request for provisional release of Brigadier General Zelwa Katanga rejected by the High Military Court
Introduction :
In a decision rendered last Thursday, the High Military Court rejected the request for provisional release of Brigadier General Zelwa Katanga, better known as Djadjidja. This decision follows a hearing held in Kinshasa, where the High Court ruled that the reasons which justified the preventive detention of the defendant have not ceased to exist. Brigadier General Zelwa Katanga is being prosecuted for criminal association and murder, in connection with the case of the murder of human rights defender Floribert Chebeya and his driver Fidèle Bazana Edadi in 2010.
The rejection of the request for provisional release:
The High Military Court considered that the means invoked by the defendant, such as his marital status and his known address, are not sufficient to grant him provisional release. The seriousness of the charges against him was taken into account in the court’s decision. Article 45 paragraph 2 of the Code of Criminal Procedure was invoked to justify this rejection, emphasizing that the grounds for the arrest warrant and preventive detention of Brigadier General Zelwa Katanga remain valid.
Continuation of the trial:
Brigadier General Zelwa Katanga is accused of criminal association and assassination in the case of the assassination of Floribert Chebeya and Fidèle Bazana Edadi in 2010. The trial is continuing, and this decision to dismiss the request for provisional release does not mean that the brigadier general will remain in detention until the final judgment. However, the High Military Court ruled that the provisional release was not justified given the seriousness of the charges against him.
Conclusion :
Brigadier General Zelwa Katanga’s request for provisional release was rejected by the High Military Court. This decision highlights the seriousness of the charges against him and underlines that the reasons for his preventive detention are still valid. The case of the assassination of Floribert Chebeya and Fidèle Bazana Edadi in 2010 continues, and the brigadier general will have to wait until the end of the trial to know his fate