Edouard Mwangachuchu’s request for provisional release arrived at the DRC’s High Military Court on 6 June. Mwangachuchu is currently in custody for his alleged involvement in treason, participation in an insurrectionary movement, espionage and illegal possession of weapons of war.
Mwangachuchu’s lawyers insisted that their client is in a precarious state of health, requiring regular medical attention. However, in a subsequent hearing, the Court noted that the notes of the pleadings filed by the lawyers were not sufficiently complete for a decision to be made objectively. Therefore, the stop has been postponed from June 2 to June 6.
While the defense argued that Mwangachuchu needed regular medical attention, the prosecutor questioned the possibility of the Congolese judge bringing in the defendant if he is abroad. Suspicions of Mwangachuchu’s links to M23 rebels were sparked by the discovery of weapons at his residence in Kinshasa and at his business premises in Masisi, North Kivu.
This case is a further indication of the recent trend in the DRC to hold those responsible for crimes longer and longer in detention without formal charge. Mwangachuchu’s case echoes the prolonged detention of many others, including political activists and journalists.
In a context of increasing pressure from rebel groups and growing insecurity, the situation in the DRC is extremely volatile. Mwangachuchu’s detention raises concerns about respect for human rights and the rule of law in the country