On December 19, 2016, as the Democratic Republic of Congo was going through an extremely tense political period, Franck Diongo was arrested in Kinshasa.
A national deputy and president of the Mouvement Lumumbiste Progressiste, he was among the opposition figures most vocal against Joseph Kabila remaining in power beyond the official end of his mandate.
His arrest came in a national climate marked by protests, restrictions and a tense political transition.
His case quickly became symbolic.
For his supporters and part of the opposition, it illustrated how political debate could shift into the judicial arena.
Diongo was later convicted and imprisoned for several years.
His detention strengthened his image as an opposition figure who paid a personal price for his public stance.
Beyond his individual case, his journey reflects a period when many political actors, activists and citizens felt that public space was shrinking.
Released in March 2019, amid political easing after Félix Tshisekedi came to power, he gradually returned to public life.
His story remains tied to a central question: how far can political engagement go when justice, security and power intersect in the same case?