The wave of releases, which has spread to other prisons in the country, is being promoted by the Ministry of Justice with the purpose of alleviating the overcrowding of several prisons in the DRC, in particular Makala.

Last September 2, an escape attempt in that prison ended with129 deaths, most of them by suffocation in the middle of the stampede in a facility created for 1,500 inmates and housing 15,000 at the moment.

At the time of break attempt, the Ministry had already started with its relief plan, so the Minister, Constant Mutamba, bluntly called the escape a sabotage to the Government’s policy.

Regarding the releases, the spokesman of the Ministry of Justice, Yves Kisombe, told the press that this only applies to those who have served three quarters of the sentence imposed by the court.

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