Congo-Kinshasa: Activist in DR Congo Faces Military Trial

What the report says

Human Rights Watch says Congolese pro-democracy activist Clovis Kakule Mutsuva is facing trial before a military court in North Kivu province in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo after his arrest by plainclothes security officers on July 18. The rights group says he has been held in pretrial detention for more than three months on charges including incitement, insulting the army, spreading false rumors and misinformation, and organizing unauthorized demonstrations.

According to the report carried by AllAfrica, the case stems from activism linked to a peaceful citywide shutdown in Beni on May 14, which Mutsuva and others promoted through videos and speeches to protest insecurity in the area. The prosecution says he urged demonstrators to set fires during nighttime protests, an allegation his side contests through the broader claims made by the rights group.

Human Rights Watch argues that Mutsuva should not be tried by a military court and calls for the case to be moved to a civilian court. The organization also says he should be provisionally released so he can receive medical care, noting that he was hospitalized for nearly two months before being returned to Kangbayi Central Prison on October 7.

The case comes against the backdrop of martial law in North Kivu and Ituri, where authorities have broader powers under the state of siege introduced in 2021 to confront armed group violence. Human rights advocates have long criticized the use of military courts for civilians in such cases.