Fred Bauma and Yves Makwambala are free!
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Yesterday evening, the Supreme Court of the DR Congo released Fred Bauma and Yves Makwambala from prison.
The two young men were hoisted up on the shoulders of celebrating supporters outside the court house. [click to watch the extraordinary moment of their release. video clip]
You took action. You sent email letters. You let the Congolese authorities know the world was watching. Your action and the actions of thousands of other individuals in the Congo and around the world created the pressure that ultimately gave Fred and Yves their freedom.
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Fred on the left, Yves on the right
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Timeline…
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Fred Bauma and Yves Makwambala were detained on March 15, 2015 while leading an international workshop in Kinshasa aimed at encouraging more Congolese youth to participate in the electoral process.
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They were held in solitary confinement with no access to lawyers, friends or family for 90 days, then transferred to Makala prison.
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Twice they went to court and the prosecution said they didn’t have enough evidence against Fred and Yves, asked for the case to be postponed, at it was.
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On Friday August 19, Fred and Yves were granted a pardon by the DRC Minister of Justice–even though they were never convicted of any crime!
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On Monday August 29, after 533 days of illegal incarceration, the two young pro-democracy activists were released. A conditional release…
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Video clip of the moment they left the court house
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What’s next?
Next week, Pragmora will launch a new campaign to:
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Ensure that President Kabila steps down when his second and final term in office ends on December 19.
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Engage international governments to ensure free and fair presidential elections are held as soon as possible in the DRC. No excuses…
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Lobby for an unconditional release for Fred and Yves.
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Fight for the freedom of other political prisoners in the DR Congo, including young Bienvenu Matumo, a member of Lucha and close friend of Fred and Yves.
[button link=”https://pragmora.com/enews/”]Stay in touch. Sign up for e-action[/button]
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Up on the shoulders of jubilant supporters
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