Congo-Kinshasa: 3 DRC Journalists Overwhelmed, Detained for Making an strive to Establish a query to Provincial Minister

Kinshasa — The Committee to Provide protection to Journalists calls for authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to instantly fall apt court cases towards three journalists who had been overwhelmed and detained in a single day whereas looking out for to interview a provincial minister in the north-jap metropolis of Kisangani.

On July 23, KIS24 Information’s Steves Paluku, ElectionNet’s Paul Beyokobana, and Kisangani Information newspaper’s Sébastien Mulamba visited the offices of Tshopo province’s Minister of Finance Patrick Valencio to set a search information from to him to retort to media criticism about his look in and alleged funding of a television series, Paluku and Beyokobana told CPJ.

The journalists acknowledged ministry officials beat them and injured Paul Peyokobana’s hand, confirmed here, on July 23, 2025, on the Ministry of Finance place of job for Tshopo province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. (Photo: Steves Paluku)

Ministry officials beat the three journalists, who all work for privately owned shops, with sticks and their fists, injuring Beyokobana’s hand, before armed police took them to a local police location and the Kisangani prosecutor’s place of job, the put they spent the night time, the journalists told CPJ.

The journalists’ prison legitimate, Andy Muzaliwa, told CPJ that they had been launched on July 24 and ordered to seem on the prosecutor’s place of job on Monday, July 28, to meet Valencio and his deputy chief of staff, Jacques Lomamisa.

Paluku told CPJ that the journalists did now not seem in court on Monday due to Muzaliwa used to be now not on hand however had been anticipated to enact so in the impending days. Paluka added that on Monday he one after the other filed a complaint towards Valencio on the Supreme Court of Kinshasa, the capital of the DRC, over his detention.

“The Congolese officials and police who attacked and detained journalists Steve Paluku, Paul Beyokobana, and Sébastien Mulamba must be held accountable and the legal proceedings against the journalists should be dropped,” acknowledged CPJ Regional Director Angela Quintal. “Authorities in the DRC should focus on ensuring the safety of journalists working to report the news, not violently silencing them for asking questions.”

Valencio’s place of job defended the minister, asserting that Congolese law did now not restrict his participation in a film at a time when he used to be now not a minister, the web outlet Boyoma Revolution reported.

CPJ’s calls to quiz of observation from Valencio and Lomamisa rang unanswered.