Editor's Note: This post was written by Enough Project intern Tomas Husted and Policy Associate Holly Dranginis.
On June 2, the family of murdered Congolese human rights activist Floribert Chebeya filed a lawsuit in Senegal accusing a Congolese police officer of participation in the 2010 killing of Chebeya and his driver, Fidele Bazana. The new charges, filed on behalf of the victims' relatives by the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), a Paris-based NGO, are a welcomed development in an otherwise troubling series of events following Chebeya's death. Congolese authorities should properly investigate and prosecute these crimes and ensure the families and supporters of the case are protected from intimidation and attack.
Before his murder, Chebeya served as director of the Voix des Sans Voix (Voice of the Voiceless), one of Congo's leading human rights organizations, regularly exposing abuses committed by the Congolese government and security forces. According to Human Rights Watch, his heroic efforts to seek truth on issues like prison conditions and military corruption were often met with threats from Congolese authorities. On June 1, 2010, Floribert Chebeya was summoned to the office of the Inspector General of the National Police, General John Numbi, for a meeting. He left for Numbi's department office at the end of his workday and was last heard from at 9 P.M., when he alerted his wife that he was still waiting to meet with the general. His body was found in the back seat of his car the following morning. An independent autopsy conducted by Verilabs, a Dutch firm, could not establish cause of death. The body of Chebeya's chauffeur, Fidele Bazana, The international community immediately pressed for a thorough inquiry into the deaths and the ...
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