§ 123. Mr. Ridsdaleasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will make a further statement about the case of Martin Leonard, who has been imprisoned in the Congo for seven months without trial.
§ Mr. William RodgersWe are deeply concerned over the continued imprisonment of Mr. Leonard due to delay in deciding on the venue of a new trial. Our Ambassador saw the Congolese Minister of Justice on 30th January and left with him a memorandum on the case. The Minister undertook to see that a decision on the retrial would speedily be made. As this is now three weeks ago, our Ambassador is seeking a further interview.
Meanwhile, Mr. Leonard continues to receive frequent consular visits and is as well as can be in the circumstances.