Democratic republic of Congo / Five Raga TV journalists released after being held for 24 hours

 

KINSHASA, Dem. Rep. of Congo (DRC) November 21, 2008/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Reporters Without Borders noted the release yesterday of five journalists on privately-owned Raga TV, after they were arrested and held for 24 hours at an undisclosed location.

“We were all released this evening. We were in trouble over the broadcast of an interview with an opposition figure who made comments seen as offensive to the head of state”, director of programmes Mbuyi Bwebwe told Agence France-Presse. “On the other hand we have no news of the journalist who did the interview, who might well be in hiding”, he added.

Mbuyi Bwebwe and studio managers Faustin Bwanakawa and Jules Pata were arrested at around 8pm on 19 November when around a dozen armed men in plain clothes burst into the station. The following morning, news editor Rosette Mamba and reporter Robert Muila were arrested in their turn by two men in plain-clothes who introduced themselves as agents of the National Intelligence Agency (ANR). 

 

 

SOURCE : Reporters without Borders (RSF)