A military court in Kinshasa on Wednesday began hearing charges against 63 individuals accused of involvement in a failed prison break attempt at the Makala Central Prison in early September.
The defendants face a range of charges including arson, terrorism, and rape, stemming from the incident that left over 130 people dead and resulted in widespread damage to the prison.
While the government has provided details of the events and casualties, a local NGO has disputed the official death toll, suggesting a significantly higher number of fatalities.
International observers have called for a thorough investigation into the incident, which highlighted the severe overcrowding and poor conditions at the Makala prison.
