Zaire: Treatment of Jehovah's Witnesses
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 August 1991 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | ZAR9352 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Zaire: Treatment of Jehovah's Witnesses, 1 August 1991, ZAR9352 , available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ac064c.html [accessed 17 September 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Under Article 17 of the Constitution of Zaire, there is no state religion in Zaire and "Everyone has the right to exercise his religion or his convictions." Also under Article 17, "Religious sects are constituted under conditions established by law." Under Article 12, religious discrimination is prohibited. These constitutional guarrantees are rendered inoperative, however, if the authorities determine that a certain group is a threat to "public order and morals." Thus, in 1986, authorities decided to dissolve the Jehovah's Witnesses as a threat to public order (Ligue Zaïroise des droits de l'homme 1990, 29; Amnesty International 1990, 11).
In the summer of 1990 the "Ligue Zaïroise des droits de l'homme" (LZDH) discovered new cases of repression of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Bandudu and Haut-Zaïre regions. These people were victims of torture and degrading acts. In some cases, this torture was a punishment for refusing to sing " La Zaïroise", the National Anthem and other songs of the "Mouvement Populaire de la Révolution" (MPR) (Ibid.).
According to the LZDH report for January to May 1991, there is still widespread repression of Jehovah's Witnesses (LZDH 1991, 53).
For additional information, please consult the attached documents.
Bibliography
Amnesty International. (AI Index: AFR 62/10/90). "The Republic of Zaire: Outside the Law - Security Force Repression of Government Opponents, 1988-1990."
Gittleman, Richard M., ed. 1991. "Zaire" in Constitutions of the Countries of the World. Edited by Albert P. Blaustein and Gisbert H. Flanz. Dobbs Ferry, NY: Oceana Publications.
Ligue Zairoise des droits de l'homme. 1990. Freedom Status Report in Zaire: June, July, August, September 1990.
Ligue Zairoise des droits de l'homme. 1991. Rapport sur l'état des libertés au Zaïre (Janvier - Mai 1991).
Attachments
Amnesty International. (AI Index: AFR 62/10/90). "The Republic of Zaire: Outside the Law - Security Force Repression of Government Opponents, 1988-1990."
Gittleman, Richard M., ed. 1991. "Zaire" in Constitutions of the Countries of the World. Edited by Albert P. Blaustein and
Gisbert H. Flanz. Dobbs Ferry, NY: Oceana Publications. Information Request ZAR0668. 21 November 1991.
Ligue Zairoise des droits de l'homme. 1990. Freedom Status Report in Zaire: June, July, August, September 1990.
Ligue Zairoise des droits de l'homme. 1991. Rapport sur l'état des libertés au Zaïre (Janvier - Mai 1991).