Trade union leader Pépé Nginamau Malaba, who represents trade union members at the Ministry of the National Economy and Trade, was arrested on 19 January in Kinshasa, the DRCâs capital. He has been held incommunicado since then, putting him at risk of torture and other ill-treatment. Amnesty International considers him a prisoner of conscience, detained solely for the peaceful exercise of his right to freedom of expression.