Brussels, 27 March 2026. The Lumumba family’s legal representatives have taken note of the intention announced by Étienne Davignon, through his lawyer, to appeal against the decision issued on 17 March 2026 by the Council Chamber (‘Chambre du conseil’) of the Brussels Court of First Instance.
They deplore this further setback in proceedings that have been ongoing for more than 15 years and have already been marked by numerous delays. The civil parties note that, in accordance with the Belgian Code of Criminal Procedure, and in particular Article 135 thereof, a referral order is in principle not subject to appeal by the accused, except where the latter raises issues of jurisdiction or irregularities, omissions or nullities referred to in Article 131, § 1 of the same Code.
In this context, the civil parties take note of this procedural initiative, the admissibility and scope of which appear at this stage to be strictly circumscribed by the aforementioned legal provisions. They reiterate that the decision to refer the case constitutes an essential step towards establishing the truth and holding a criminal trial, which the victims’ families have been awaiting for over sixty years.
The civil parties will remain vigilant regarding compliance with the applicable procedural framework and will ensure that the remainder of the proceedings can proceed without undue delay, whilst respecting the rights of all parties. They further express the hope that the appeal court may be seized of the matter and rule within a short timeframe, ideally before the end of the current judicial year. The legal representatives of the civil parties remain fully committed to ensuring that this trial takes place as soon as possible.
