Press Release: Death Threatened Dissident Expelled from Sweden During Great Secrecy

This picture was taken on the repository in Flen December 2011. Jean Kabuidibuidi spent 130 days in the repository in Flen before he finally was expelled yesterday, 23 February 2012. Photographer: #PastorJean team. Media may use the image freely.

A government critic from Congo Kinshasa was expelled during great secrecy last night from Skavsta airport, despite loud protests from Christian groups and human rights activists. The man, named Jean Kabuidibuidi, is the pastor of a Congolese church in Stockholm and has become known for openly criticizing the regime in his homeland. The police conducted the deportation despite the fact that Kabuidibuidi’s representative Claes Strömvall did not receive this confirmation until this morning, a procedure that the lawyer perceives as strange.

– The police did not give me any details yesterday, and when I asked why they said “security reasons”. We wanted to get information about when Jean Kabuidibuidi’s plane will land in Congo Kinshasa for friends to meet up at the airport, says Claes Strömvall.

The Congolese minister has been locked in the Immigration Service detention for 130 days and the border police have tried to enforce the expulsion order on three previous occasions. Pastor Jean Kabuidibuidi have testified about police brutality, harassment and very rough treatment in connection with these previous deportation attempt.

During the morning his friends in Sweden tried to confirm if and when Kabuidibuidi sent off, but neither the Immigration Service and Border Police have wanted to answer their questions.

– At ten o’clock in the morning, we received a text message from Jean. He says he arrived in the Congo but has not had to leave the airport security, where he sat for two hours and answered questions, said Stefan Swärd, pastor of Elimkyrkan which shares facilities with the Congolese Assembly Kabuidibuidi leads.

Right now Jean Kabuidibuidi’s friends in Sweden tries to mobilize Congolese contacts in place, to try to help him with his entrance into the country. Whether he can escape reprisals from the regime remains to be seen.

– At noon I got a text message from Jean where he said that the Swedish police on the ground in Congo is negotiating with the Congolese border police by “bringing forth dollar bills,” said Stefan Swärd.

For more information, contact Stefan Swärd, pastor Elimkyrkan Stockholm Tel. +46704 922 310

Follow the tag #PastorJean on Twitter for ongoing information about Jean Kabuidibuidi (mostly in Swedish).

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Swedish Media that has written about the case: Dagen, TV4, Sändaren, Ajour.