Disappearance of human rights defender Rams Wasolela
On 16 May 2020, human rights defender Rams Wasolela was found in the forest on the road leading to Kipushi territory, 55 kilometers from the city of Lubumbashi. His abductors left him on this road at approximately 11pm that night. The defender is injured as a result of the beatings and torture he suffered when he was abducted.
On 12 May 2020, human rights defender Rams Wasolela is reported to have disappeared in Lubumbashi, Haut-Katanga province. His disappearance coincides with several social media posts the defender made, denouncing the insecurity in Lubumbashi and calling on the population to demonstrate.
Rams Wasolela is a human rights defender and national coordinator of the citizen’s movement La Voix du Peuple (The Voice of the People). This movement mobilises citizens to claim their rights peacefully and promotes respect for the law through demonstrations and petitions.
On 16 May 2020, human rights defender Rams Wasolela was found in the forest on the road leading to Kipushi territory, 55 kilometers from the city of Lubumbashi. His abductors left him on this road at approximately 11pm that night. The defender is injured as a result of the beatings and torture he suffered when he was abducted.
On 12 May 2020, human rights defender and national coordinator of the citizen’s movement La Voix du Peuple (The Voice of the People) Rams Wasolela was reported to have disappeared in Lubumbashi, Haut-Katanga province, after leaving his home in the direction of the city center to run errands. His disappearance coincided with several social media posts by the human rights defender, denouncing the insecurity in Lubumbashi, and calling on the population to demonstrate.
Rams Wasolela reported that he was abducted on 12 May at approximately 6pm in the center of Lubumbashi by three unknown individuals. Rams Wasolela was taken to an unknown location by his abductors and was severely beaten, tortured and threatened on account of his human rights work, speaking about the insecurity in Lubumbashi and calling for demonstrations. His abductors released him on 16 May at around 11pm, 55 kilometers from the city of Lubumbashi.
Front Line Defenders is deeply concerned regarding the abduction of Rams Wasolela, as it believes that it was solely motivated by his peaceful and legitimate activities in defence of human rights, and the exercise of his freedom of expression. Front Line Defenders urges the authorities in the DRC to carry out an immediate, thorough and impartial investigation into the abduction of the defender in order to bring those responsible to justice in accordance with international standards, and to take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity and security of Rams Wasolela.
On 12 May 2020, human rights defender Rams Wasolela is reported to have disappeared in Lubumbashi, Haut-Katanga province. His disappearance coincides with several social media posts the defender made, denouncing the insecurity in Lubumbashi and calling on the population to demonstrate.
Rams Wasolela is a human rights defender and national coordinator of the citizen’s movement La Voix du Peuple (The Voice of the People). This movement mobilises citizens to claim their rights peacefully and promotes respect for the law through demonstrations and petitions.
According to the defender’s family, Rams Wasolela left his home on 12 May 2020 at approximately 2pm and was headed towards the city centre for groceries. His family and friends have not heard from him since, nor have they been able to reach his phone, which is turned off. Rams Wasolela’s family filed a report of his disappearance at the Lubumbashi police station, but they have not yet been notified as to whether an investigation has been opened.
Rams Wasolela’s family believes his disappearance is linked to his human rights activities, denouncing the climate of insecurity in Lubumbashi. The security situation in the province of Haut-Katanga, and particularly in the city of Lubumbashi, has deteriorated since April 2020, with numerous thefts and burglaries occurring. On social media networks, Rams Wasolela criticised the inability of provincial authorities and law enforcement agencies to guarantee the security of citizens, calling on the population to demonstrate.
Friends of Rams Wasolela say that he told them that he had received several death threats from unknown numbers and threats in the comments below his posts on social media, in the week leading up to his disappearance.
Rams Wasolela was previously arrested arbitrarily on 16 December 2019 and detained for four days at the National Intelligence Agency (ANR) in Lubumbashi. He was arrested by officers of the university of Lubumbashi police force for being in possession of a copy of a letter from the organization La Lucha. The letter was addressed to the mayor of the city of Lubumbashi, regarding a cancelled march to be held on 15 December 2019 to protest the increased insecurity in the province of Haut-Katanga. Rams Wasolela was brought before a judge and granted release on 20 December 2019.
Front Line Defenders is seriously concerned regarding the disappearance of Rams Wasolela, as it believes his disappearance is linked to his peaceful and legitimate human rights work and his exercising of his freedom of expression.
