A former senior Belgian diplomat has lodged an appeal against a court ruling requiring him to stand trial over the 1961 killing of Patrice Lumumba, the first prime minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo, his lawyer has said.
A Belgian court ruled on 17 March that Etienne Davignon, 93, a former vice-president of the European Commission, should face prosecution over his alleged role in the assassination more than six decades ago.
His lawyer confirmed the appeal but declined to comment further.
Prosecutors allege that Davignon, then a junior diplomat, was involved in Lumumba’s unlawful detention and transfer, and that he contributed to denying him a fair trial.
Davignon is the only surviving Belgian official among those accused of involvement in the killing.
Lumumba rose to power in 1960 following Congo’s independence from Belgium but was removed from office within months. He was killed on 16 January 1961 by secessionist forces backed by Belgian interests.
A 2002 Belgian parliamentary inquiry found Belgium to be “morally responsible” for Lumumba’s death. The case against Davignon marks the first criminal prosecution linked to the assassination, in what may be the last chance to establish legal accountability.
Despite his brief time in office, Lumumba became a symbol of anti-colonial resistance during the wave of African independence movements in the 1960s.
