In early October 2025, a series of arrests and detentions took place in Kisangani, Tshopo Province, targeting members of the citizen movement LUCHA (Lutte pour le Changement) and other civil society actors.
On 1 October, Jedidia Mabela, director of Actions pour la Justice, le Développement et les Droits Humains (AJDDH) and member of LUCHA, was arrested by Congolese National Police officers at his office and transferred to the public prosecutor’s office in Kisangani. The following day, the Kisangani Makiso Peace Tribunal sentenced him to six months in prison for “spreading false rumours” and “defamation,” following public comments he made on social media questioning the provincial government’s alleged funding of public concerts amid widespread shortages of basic services. He was also ordered to pay a fine to the Governor of Tshopo Province.
Days earlier, on 30 September, civil society groups, including LUCHA and Filimbi, had organised a peaceful sit-in outside the provincial assembly to denounce mismanagement and corruption. The demonstration was dispersed by police using force, injuring several participants.
On 8 October, twelve human rights defenders and activists were violently arrested while participating in a peaceful protest calling for Mabela’s release. The group included members of LUCHA, Filimbi, the Nouvelle Dynamique de la Société Civile, and other local collectives. Several were injured by unidentified individuals before being detained by police on charges of “rebellion” and “public disorder.” They were released later that evening, though judicial proceedings remain pending.
These incidents take place amid a broader deterioration of civic space in the Democratic Republic of Congo, marked by increasing restrictions on journalists and human rights defenders since the re-election of President Félix Tshisekedi in December 2023.
