JULY 11, 2005
Updated: July 28, 2005
Jean Marie Kanku, L’Alerte
IMPRISONED
Kanku, publisher of the private newspaper L’Alerte in the capital, Kinshasa, was arrested on July 11 and charged with criminal defamation.
The charge stemmed from a July 8 article alleging that a DRC official had misused humanitarian reconstruction funds, according to the Kinshasa-based press freedom organization Journaliste en Danger (JED). The article cited a “Norwegian human rights group” for its information.
According to local sources, Kanku was released on July 25, after paying 4,000 Congolese francs (about US$10) in bail. It was unclear whether he would be tried.