05/06/2010

KILLING OF HUMAN RIGHST DEFENDER FLORIBERT CHEBEYA BAHIZIRE



Jun 04, 2010 11:00 am


Floribert Chebeya Bahizire, a prominent human rights defender in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the director of Voix des Sans Voix, was found dead in Kinshasa on 2 June 2010. He was summoned to a meeting with General Numbi Banza Tambo, Inspector General of the police the previous day. The International Service for Human Rights is shocked to have learned of his death and sends its deepest condolences to his family and the human rights community in the DRC. On 3 June the Human Rights Council held a minute of silence to honour Floribert. In presenting his report to the Council, Mr Philip Alston, the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial killings, expressed his sadness at this loss of life. Mr Alston had met Floribert recently during his visit to the DRC. He stated that the circumstances of the killing raised questions about official involvement and called for an urgent, independent investigation. The High Commissioner for Human Rights also expressed shock and great sadness at the death of Floribert and called for a rigorous investigation. She was deeply concerned with the growing trend of intimidation and harassment of human rights defenders, journalists, political opponents as well as victims and witnesses in the DRC. ISHR and many other NGOs are calling for an end to killing and harassment of human rights defenders in the DRC and a full investigation into this tragic incident.
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