54 prisoners expelled from Congo have been interrogated by the public prosecutor in Bujumbura this Tuesday October 30. They are mainly accused of disturbing the internal security of the state.
Those who were questioned are part of a team of 124 alleged rebels expelled from Congo last year.
Expelled Burundians in trucks escorted by the police
They were handed to Burundian authorities by the Congolese army. The public prosecutor says there are 114 detained people over the case. “21 were interrogated yesterday, one has already died and other 39 remaining will be questioned tomorrow”.
The public prosecutor accused them of disturbing the internal security of the state and belonging to armed groups.
54 detainees helped by 3 lawyers say that they were arrested in different ways, different times and places but gathered and handed to the Burundian authorities later. “They were doing their small businesses in the DRC in different places”.
There is also one of them who said he was forced to join in an armed group but after he had escaped, he went to the Congolese army to ask for his repatriation to Burundi.
The public prosecutor said they deserve different punishments but the most severe one is a 10-year sentence in jail.
Prime Mbarubukeye, one of the 3 lawyers who were helping the alleged says these prisoners suffer the lack of lawyers. “They should be assisted by lawyers, it is their right. Only 25% of them are assisted”.
Those prisoners are part of a team of 124 alleged rebels deported from the DRC on January 31st, 2017 and handed to the Burundian authorities on Gatumba border.
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