Seventeen students from the 5-February-1979 technical high school in Brazzaville are charged with “degrading an object of public utility or decoration”. The trial opened on Tuesday February 20 before the sixth criminal chamber of the capital court.
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With our correspondent at Brazzaville, Loicia Martial
The hearing lasted nearly six hours, in a packed room. Initially fourteen, the number of defendants increased to seventeen after indictment of three witnesses.
Everyone was heard, and some of them partially admitted the facts, but without explaining why they replaced the green-yellow-red flag with a dark blue fabric, the color of their uniform.
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Others claimed to have been arrested in confusion or by excessive zeal on the part of the police. This is the case of a computer engineer who intervened during the arrest of his younger brother, a technical high school student. He was granted provisional release.
“ It’s not a victory, but simply a feeling of joy. I would have liked the Congolese police to carry out in-depth investigations. Because, by listening to everyone’s statements, we realize that there are students who were arrested, but in reality did nothing “, declared Mr. Haris Kissouésoué, defense lawyer.
Me Haris Kissouéssoué denounced the fact that some high school students involved in this affair are on the run. The hearing was suspended and will resume on February 27 with the hearing of witnesses, in particular high school officials.