For almost a month, the situation of Stanis Bujakera, journalist at Actualité.cd, has been the subject of serious concern on the part of civil society organizations engaged in the defense of human rights. Correspondent for Reuters and Jeune Afrique, Stanis Bujakera was arrested and kept in detention, sparking an outcry over respect for press freedom in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The African Association for the Defense of Human Rights (ASADHO) and the Public Expenditure Observatory (ODEP) express their deep concern at the flagrant violation of articles 104, 96 and 127 of the law on freedom of press in the DRC. According to these civil society organizations, the Congolese authorities broke the law by not granting Stanis Bujakera the right of response and rectification provided for in article 104. In addition, the authorities asked the journalist to disclose his source of information. information, thus violating article 96 which expressly prohibits this practice.
ASADHO and ODEP also emphasize that the responsibility for publishing an unsigned article lies with the publishing director or program director, in accordance with article 127 of the press freedom law. Thus, they wonder why Stanis Bujakera is being prosecuted for an article that he did not sign, believing that legal action should have been taken against the publishing director of Jeune Afrique.
The two organizations call on the President of the Republic and the judicial authorities to respect the country’s laws, in particular that relating to freedom of the press. They also recommend releasing Stanis Bujakera, while encouraging civil society and the media to mobilize so that the laws of the Republic are respected and to avoid any abuse of power or settling of scores.
Since his arrest on September 8, 2023, Stanis Bujakera has been held in pre-trial detention in Kinshasa central prison, without having benefited from the guarantees provided by the law on freedom of the press to ensure the protection of journalists in the exercise of their profession .
This case arouses strong reactions from the international community, which calls for the immediate release of the journalist and respect for press freedom in the DRC. Stanis Bujakera thus becomes the symbol of the many Congolese journalists who face pressure, threats and violence in the exercise of their profession, endangering democracy and fundamental rights in the country.
It is now crucial that the Congolese authorities act in favor of press freedom, guaranteeing the protection of journalists and ensuring that the country’s laws are respected. The release of Stanis Bujakera would be a step in the right direction to restore confidence in the judicial system and promote an environment conducive to free and independent journalism in the DRC.