Society

Congolese Justice Minister Constant Mutamba initiated a large-scale release of prisoners last weekend to combat overcrowding at Makala prison in the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

Prisoners there have been living in deplorable conditions for decades. Anyone who has ever served there invariably calls it "hell on earth". Photos shared on social media show more than 1,600 prisoners in the courtyard, many of them completely emaciated. Among them are many men who can no longer walk because the wounds on their feet and legs are badly infected. So reports news medium Actualite.cd.

“For an average prisoner, Makala means the waiting room for death,” a former Makala prisoner testified in an interview with Al Jazeera.

The first group of 300 prisoners was already released in mid-September. Last Saturday, 729 others were released early, including eight minors. Sunday then saw the release of the seriously ill detainees. 

These drastic measures come after as many as 129 people were killed in a mass escape attempt in early September.

(SR for Tagtik/Source: Actualite.cd - Al Jazeera/Illustration picture: Pixabay)

#RDC: Constant MUTAMBA, le ministre de la justice, a libéré ce dimanche, 22 septembre, 1685 prisonniers malades, détenus à la prison centrale de Makala. "Ceci, dans le but de leur permettre d'aller suivre les soins appropriés.", annonce son cabinet. pic.twitter.com/B4IrrBYdWN

— Stanis Bujakera Tshiamala (@StanysBujakera) September 22, 2024