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13 October 2000
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13 October 2000
Roberto Garretón, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has strongly condemned the detention of representatives of non-governmental organizations in South Kivu in the east of the country, their mal-treatment and attacks on their liberty of association and assembly.
The Special Rapporteur recalled that following her official visit to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which took place from 1 to 3 October 2000, High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson had expressed her concern that around 15 representatives of non-governmental organizations and members of RADHOSKI, which is a group of non-governmental organizations in south Kivu whom she met with during her visit, had been arrested when they gathered at the headquarters of the Jérémie Groupe on 9 October 2000.
A group of armed men forced their way into the meeting room and roughly manhandled the human rights defenders before forcing them into vehicles which took them to a detention centre. With the exception of one or two, the detainees were tortured before finally being set free around 7 p.m. the same day.
Mr. Garretón noted that this attack took place a number of days following Mrs. Robinson's visit to the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He said that it was totally contradictory to the commitments made by the Rassemblement congolais pour la démocratie (RCD) during the visit of the High Commissioner on the need to protect human rights defenders. Mr. Garretón urged that these persons were not judicially pursued and did not suffer from further intimidation.
Mr. Garretón transmitted this information to the United Nations Secretary-General, according to resolution 2000/15 of the Commission on Human Rights. He will inform the General Assembly of these events when he presents his interim report.
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Roberto Garretón, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has strongly condemned the detention of representatives of non-governmental organizations in South Kivu in the east of the country, their mal-treatment and attacks on their liberty of association and assembly.
The Special Rapporteur recalled that following her official visit to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which took place from 1 to 3 October 2000, High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson had expressed her concern that around 15 representatives of non-governmental organizations and members of RADHOSKI, which is a group of non-governmental organizations in south Kivu whom she met with during her visit, had been arrested when they gathered at the headquarters of the Jérémie Groupe on 9 October 2000.
A group of armed men forced their way into the meeting room and roughly manhandled the human rights defenders before forcing them into vehicles which took them to a detention centre. With the exception of one or two, the detainees were tortured before finally being set free around 7 p.m. the same day.
Mr. Garretón noted that this attack took place a number of days following Mrs. Robinson's visit to the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He said that it was totally contradictory to the commitments made by the Rassemblement congolais pour la démocratie (RCD) during the visit of the High Commissioner on the need to protect human rights defenders. Mr. Garretón urged that these persons were not judicially pursued and did not suffer from further intimidation.
Mr. Garretón transmitted this information to the United Nations Secretary-General, according to resolution 2000/15 of the Commission on Human Rights. He will inform the General Assembly of these events when he presents his interim report.
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