US Edition
Belgian diplomat appeals to avoid trial over Congo leader's murder
Davignon, 93, appeals court order to stand trial for alleged role in Lumumba's 1961 detention and transfer, potentially the first Belgian trial in this colonial-era case.
- On Friday, 93-year-old former Belgian diplomat Etienne Davignon appealed a court decision ordering him to stand trial for the 1961 assassination of Patrice Lumumba, Congo's first prime minister.
- Prosecutors allege Davignon participated in the "unlawful detention and transfer" of Lumumba, who was killed 65 years ago by Belgian-backed secessionist rebels.
- Davignon remains the sole survivor among 10 Belgians accused of complicity in the murder and faces accusations of "humiliating and degrading treatment" regarding the leader's detention.
- A new closed-door hearing will pit legal teams against each other, with lawyer Johan Verbist confirming the appeal and potentially delaying trial until at least January 2027.
- Belgium was previously found "morally responsible" for Lumumba's death in a 2002 parliamentary investigation; this trial represents the first prosecution related to the murder in colonial history.
30 Articles
30 Articles
Belgian ex‑official appeals war crimes trial over 1961 Congo leader's murder
A 93-year-old former Belgian diplomat ordered to stand trial over the 1961 killing of Congolese independence icon Patrice Lumumba has appealed the decision, his lawmaker said Friday.
In mid-March, a Belgian court ruled that Etienne Davignon, now 93, should be brought to justice and given explanations for his alleged involvement in the assassination of Lumumba 65 years ago.
Count Etienne Davignon, a former high-ranking Belgian diplomat and vice-president of the European Commission, attacked at a court of appeal the court's decision to "participate in war crimes" in connection with the murder of Patrice Lumumba, the first president of the history of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, transmitted Reuters. ...
The Straits Times
The CitizenBelgian ex-diplomat appeals order to stand trial in Congo's Lumumba murder
BRUSSELS, March 27 - A former high-profile Belgian diplomat has appealed against a court decision ordering him to stand trial over the assassination of Patrice Lumumba, Congo's first prime minister, in 1961, the ex-diplomat's lawyer told Reuters on Friday. Read more at straitstimes.com.
The 93-year-old Belgian diplomat is suspected of "participation in war crimes" for his involvement in the decisions that led to the assassination of the Congolese leader in 1961.
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