DRC: Seth Kikuni sentenced for inciting civil disobedience

A Congolese opposition politician has been sentenced to one year in prison for inciting civil disobedience in what his political party described as the government's "blatant attempt" to silence its critics.

A Kinshasa court said Wednesday evening that Seth Kikuni, president of the political party Piste pour l'Emergence, was found guilty of inciting disobedience and spreading false rumors during a September rally in Lubumbashi, in the southwest of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Mr Kikuni’s lawyer said he would appeal the court’s decision. In September, Mr Kikuni told his supporters at a rally that they should not be afraid and should oppose re-elected President Felix Tshsekedi , whom he accused of falsifying the election results.

Kikuni was arrested in Kinshasa on September 2 by agents of the National Intelligence Agency before being handed over to a judge and transferred to Makala central prison in Kinshasa, known for its overcrowding and poor conditions.

His lawyers have pleaded not guilty, arguing that Mr Kikuni was acting in his capacity as an opposition politician.

His party said the sentence was "a blatant attempt to silence a critical voice in an increasingly tense political context" and described his trial as a travesty of justice. "The Congolese justice system has sentenced my client Seth Kikuni to one year in prison ," said his lawyer, Laurent Onyemba.

President Tshisekedi was re-elected in December and has spent much of his term trying to gain legitimacy after a disputed 2018 election while struggling to end armed conflict in the east of the country.

Last month, he announced that a national commission would be set up next year to draft a new constitution for the country, sparking opposition concerns that he would change presidential term limits.