H.E. Gen-Maj. Joseph Kabila
President
Office of the President
Palais de la Nation
Kinshasa
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Your Excellency:
On this day, World Press Freedom Day, there are — to the best of our knowledge — 193 journalists imprisoned in the jails of 29 countries, most of them solely for having done their jobs. Your country is among the 29, as you are holding Bamporiki Chamira in prison.
Jailed since last February, Chamira, a journalist with La Tempête des Tropiques , was arrested and charged, but the trial that began last June was recessed within a week and no verdict has been issued. We make no judgment on the accusations against Chamira except to remind you in the strongest way that he has the right to a fair trial that begins and ends on a timely basis.
Your Excellency, journalists arrested because of their efforts as journalists should be released both on principle and as a matter of expediency. The principle is simple, as stated in Article 19 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights: “”Everyone,? according to the Declaration, ?has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”” U.N. members recognize that this right is sometimes inconvenient and troublesome. Yet, it is crucial to uphold, and for practical reasons as well as principle. A nation that stifles freedom of thought and expression forfeits the good opinion of the world and isolates itself.
The Overseas Press Club of America, an independent organization that has defended press freedom around the world for 65 years, urges you to welcome free expression of ideas and opinions.
The courtesy of a reply would be appreciated.
Respectfully yours,
Norman A. Schorr
Kevin McDermott
Co-chairmen, Freedom of the Press Committee