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Over 50 political detainees released

    NAIROBI

    The amnesty decree signed by President Laurent-Desire Kabila in February has so far resulted in the release of 245 prisoners, including over 50 political detainees, the monthly OCHA report stated. It said the decree concerned all Congolese undergoing or having undergone a civil or military judiciary process. Former rebel leader Arthur Zahidi Ngoma returned to Kinshasa on 2 April after accepting the amnesty offer, the report said.

    However, other political activists remained under arrest on non-political charges, it stated. The UN Human Rights Field Office in the DRC had twice visited Kinshasa's central prison and had "confidential access" to detainees, the report said, adding that the living conditions of prisoners condemned to death were found to be particularly poor.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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