The justice minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Constant Mutamba, announced the conditional release of 648 inmates from the country’s largest prison on Saturday amid efforts to ease overcrowding.
The 648 prisoners released with parole conditions included 73 adults and eight juveniles.
Makala Central Prison, built in 1957, is designed to accommodate 1,500 inmates but currently houses over 12,000 prisoners. According to Amnesty International, prisoners are not provided with adequate food, drinking water or medicine, and some have starved to death.
Under international law, government authorities have a duty to care for people in prisons, including to protect their rights to life, health, safety and security. According to the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, people in prison are to be treated with dignity and have prompt access to adequate food with nutrient value.
Journalist Stanis Bujakera Tshiamala was recently held in the prison for months and described the conditions as “deplorable and inhumane,” according to quotes reported by ABC News. He noted that nearly 700 women and hundreds of minors are treated the same as adults within the facility.
The conditional release follows an escape attempt at Makala Central Prison earlier this month. During the jailbreak, twenty-four were shot after ignoring warnings, while the rest died from crushing or suffocation. The total death toll was 129, while fifty-nine were injured. Earlier this month, DRC Interior Minister Jacquemin Shabani stated that several women were also raped during the attempted jailbreak.
During the announcement, the Minister of Justice referred to the jailbreak and condemned any attempt to disrupt public order inside penitentiary establishments.
In an effort to reduce prison overcrowding , DRC announced an array of releases of inmates in recent months. In July, the DRC government had stated that at least 7,000 inmates were to be granted conditional release from the Makala Central Prison in a bid to ease overcrowding at the facility. In late August, authorities announced another release of 527 inmates from the prison.
