The Belgian-Congolese military expert Jean-Jacques Wondo has arrived back in Belgium. Mr Wondo was released from prison in Kinshasa “on humanitarian grounds” on Tuesday. He had been sentenced to death for his alleged part in a coup plot. He had spend 8 month in custody in a Congolese prison.
According to his lawyer, Mr Wondo’s health condition had deteriorated to such an extent that he was released to receive medical care.
On Wednesday morning Mr Wondo took a plane to Paris and from there continued his journey by train to Brussels, where he arrived around 3.30pm. A clearly relieved and satisfied group of people from the Belgian-Congolese community were waiting for him at the Brussels South station. With them was the new Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot (Francophone centrist). Jean-Jacques Wondo was clearly moved by the reunion with his friends and family.
Failed coup attempt
Mr Wondo was detained in the Congolese capital Kinshasa on 22 May last year. In September, he was sentenced to death along with 30 other defendants.
The Congolese military court accused him of being the “mastermind” of a failed coup. Mr Wondo has always maintained his innocence.