Congolese journalist Stanis Bujakera was slated for imminent release following a court ruling on Monday, where he was found guilty and sentenced to six months in prison on charges including spreading false information, as reported by media freedom advocate Reporters Without Borders.
Anticipated to be freed within hours or days following the verdict, Bujakera had already served over six months while awaiting trial. Additionally, a court in Kinshasa imposed a fine of 1 million Congolese francs ($360) on him.
Bujakera, who had been employed by Actualité.CD, an online news platform in Congo, as well as Jeune Afrique, a magazine based in Paris, among others, vehemently denied all allegations. He had been potentially facing up to 20 years behind bars after being accused of concocting a memo implicating a Congolese intelligence official in the assassination of an opposition spokesperson.
Reporters Without Borders asserted, “He should never have been detained, prosecuted, incarcerated, and convicted based on trumped-up charges against him.”
In a statement, Actualité.CD expressed solidarity with Bujakera’s journalistic endeavors and urged his legal team to contest the guilty verdict.
Bujakera’s imprisonment sparked widespread condemnation from various international human rights organizations
