fled from the country or were deceased. The latter were alleged to have
participated in the assassination of President Laurent Désiré Kabila on 16
January 2001.
3. The Complainant further alleges that these Victims were first taken to a jail (the
GLM, Groupe Litho Moboti), which does not fall under the authority of the Office
of the Prosecutor, where they were tortured before being transferred to the
Kinshasa Penitentiary and Re-education centre in March 2001. The Complainant
alleges that some of the Victims were held there with their children and one of
them, (Madam Coco Chibalonza), even delivered her second child in the Centre.
4. The Complainant submits that after a year of detention with no charges being
brought against them, and with no possibility of communicating with their
lawyers, the Victims were informed on 13 March 2002, of the decisions to bring
them before the Military Court. The Complainant avers that the decisions of this
Court cannot be appealed, and that the impartiality and independence of this
Court is questionable. The Complainant submits that the Victims were accused of
belonging to the so-called “Masasu” group, which is seeking to take over power.
Further, the Complainant submits that Masumbuko Mwali and Kamwanya Beya
were also accused of having helped their husbands escape from their place of
detention.
5. The Complainant avers that after ten months of trial, all the accused were
acquitted of the charges brought against them. Despite this acquittal, the Victims
allege that all their property was confiscated and that as a result, they were now
destitute.
The Complaint:
2