Congo-Kinshasa: 2 DRC Journalists Jailed Following Defamation Complaints

7 August 2025
Committee to Protect Journalists (New York)

Kinshasa — The Committee to Protect Journalists urges authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to swiftly release Glody Ndaya, director general of the privately owned news site Eventsrdc.com, and freelance commentator Espérant Kasongo.

"DRC authorities should unconditionally release journalists Glody Ndaya and Espérant Kasongo and end the use of laws that have censorious roots in the colonial era," said CPJ Regional Director Angela Quintal. "Journalists in the DRC are subjected to a relentless pattern of arrests and attacks, which must be reversed."

The two journalists were arrested separately by police in Kinshasa on August 4, 2025. Ndaya was first detained at the provincial police station then transferred on August 5 to the Gombe municipality's prosecutor's office, according to her lawyer, Eric Andoy Elungu. Kasongo was taken to the Kalamu municipality's prosecutor's office, his lawyer, Fail Nico Mbikayi, told CPJ. Both journalists were transferred to the Makala central prison of Kinshasa on August 6.

Andoy said that Ndaya's arrest was related to a defamation complaint over Eventsrdc.com's publication of an investigation alleging medical malpractice by local doctor Vincent Lokonga. The investigation was not carried out by Eventsrdc.com. The outlet and several other news sites, including congoquotidien.com, congopresse.net, and infos.cd, published it.

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Kasongo's arrest followed a defamation complaint by gospel musician and pastor Mike Kalambayi over Kasongo's statements on a broadcast by the privately owned Six TV, Mbikayi told CPJ. Kasongo said in the broadcast that Kalambayi and record label Maajabu Gospel do not like Moïse Mbiye, another pastor and gospel musician.

CPJ's calls to Lokonga, Kalambayi, and government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya went unanswered.

Read the original article on CPJ.

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