DRC: In eastern Congo, defending justice is risking your life
Amid intensifying fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, human rights defenders, especially lawyers, have become prime targets for armed groups. According to information gathered and verified by the Observatory, there has been a disturbing pattern of threats, intimidation and serious violence.
Free criminals, exposed lawyers
Mass escapes in several cities, including Bukavu and Goma, have freed individuals convicted of rape, sexual and gender-based violence, and serious crimes. Their release has fuelled a climate of impunity and increased the risks for lawyers who contributed to their convictions. Lawyers now live under constant threat from former criminals, often linked to armed groups still active in the region.
Armed groups at the centre of the system
The M23 and other armed factions control a large part of North Kivu and South Kivu provinces, leaving the population in a security vacuum. Even when present, the official security forces are unable to protect civilians. In this context, lawyers specialising in war crimes or sexual and gender-based violence cases become prime targets, perceived as a threat by the perpetrators of these crimes.
Constant threats and disrupted lives
Observed patterns of persecution include:
- Regular death threats;
- Assassination attempts;
- Physical intimidation and surveillance;
- Kidnappings and disappearances targeting those who hold sensitive information.
This systematic harassment, often carried out by telephone or text message, reflects a desire to physically eliminate lawyers who may have information or have defended sensitive cases, making it impossible for them to live a normal life.
This constant pressure has forced many lawyers to hide, abandon their profession or flee to areas considered safer. Some have been forced to leave their region of origin altogether, losing their family and professional ties.
Repression and a climate of fear
Beyond targeted threats, the general situation is marked by increased repression against civil society, arbitrary arrests, abductions and executions. The uncontrolled circulation of weapons reinforces the climate of chronic insecurity, where any protest or independent activity can be equated with opposition to the dominant armed groups.
The situation of lawyers in eastern DRC today demonstrates an undeniable reality: defending justice/taking legal action in the DRC means putting one’s life at risk.
The International Observatory for Lawyers in Danger calls on the Congolese authorities and the international community to:
- Establish specific protection mechanisms without delay for lawyers and human rights defenders, so that they can carry out their work without fear for their lives and are not threatened or endangered because of their past actions in the exercise of their duties;
- Strengthen the fight against impunity by ensuring that crimes committed in eastern DRC are tried by impartial and independent courts;
- Accelerate the implementation of transitional justice mechanisms, which are essential to guarantee truth, justice and reparation for victims.
