Belgian Jean-Jacques Wondo was released from prison in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Tuesday.
According to political scientist Nadia Nsayi, who is close to the family, he is on his way to the Belgian embassy in the DRC.
Wondo, a Belgian-Congolese military expert, spent more than eight months in Kinshasa prison. He was sentenced to death in September last year along with some 30 other defendants by a military court in Kinshasa for his alleged role in a failed coup.
The military appeals court in the DRC had upheld the death sentence on appeal just last week. In an initial response, Belgium had said that the decision would affect relations between the two countries. The Belgian ambassador in Kinshasa was also recalled, albeit temporarily, for consultations.
No elements to prove involvement
On 19 May 2024, dozens of armed men attacked the home of then-Congolese Economy Minister Vital Kamerhe. Another group stormed the Palais de la Nation (the presidential office).
The attackers' action ended with an intervention by security forces, who arrested some 40 of them and killed four others. The suspected leader Christian Malanga, a Congolese living in the United States, was also killed.
Wondo was arrested a few days after the failed coup. However, his lawyers have always maintained that the case contains no elements proving Wondo's involvement.
Nsayi was informed that Wondo was on his way to the Belgian embassy, but the Belgian Foreign Affairs Ministry has not confirmed his release for the time being.
