Jean-Marc Kabund, former leader of the presidential party turned opponent, sentenced to 7 years in prison

2 mins

With our correspondent in Kinshasa, Pascal Mulegwa

In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the opponent Jean-Marc Kabund, former leader of the presidential party, was sentenced on September 13, 2023, more than a year after his arrest for, in particular, insulting the head of state, the government and spreading falsehood noises.

Facts he committed when he announced his departure from the presidential camp and the creation of one’s own political party.

With this conviction, the former key man of the regime, who has become a fierce opponent, can no longer enter the race for the presidential election of December 20, 2023.

A sentence greater than the three years in prison requested by the prosecutor

The judges of the high court upheld all the charges against Jean-Marc Kabund. But they imposed a sentence on him that was longer than the three years in prison requested by the prosecutor: seven years in prison were thus imposed, including 16 months for spreading false rumors.

A very harsh verdict, deplore his lawyers. Other judicial sources, however, believe that the high court remained lenient.

Lack of clear vision, corruption, illicit enrichment or even errors and groping: during his trial, the opponent repeated before the judges the violent diatribe against President Félix Tshisekedi and his regime. Diatribe which had earned him his arrest.

Read alsoGuest Africa – DRC: “I have a mandate from the people, I cannot resign,” says Jean-Marc Kabund

On Wednesday, Jean-Marc Kabund remained in his cell in Makala central prison. The courtroom was also closed to the press. The judgments of this high court are not subject to any appeal.

Jean-Marc Kabund thus loses his mandate as national deputy which should be taken over by his deputy in the Assembly. His party, Alliance for Change, denounced a political trial, three months before the presidential election in which the opponent planned to run.