Hundreds protested in front of Congo's top court to demand the release of political prisoners, including the country’s three most prominent opposition figures.

After the protest ended, representatives of opposition parties handed the minister of justice a statement accusing Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi of trying to “muzzle the opponents” and “silence dissenting voices."

The parties called for the release of the leader of Alliance for Change party; Jean-Marc Kabund, a former member of the provincial parliament, Mike Mukebayi, and a candidate in the presidential elections last year, Seth Kikuni,

Reports have it that Kabund and Mukebayi were arrested last year for “insulting the head of state” and “spreading false rumors, as he was therefore sentenced to seven years in prison after he accused the president of corruption and embezzlement, while Mukebayi is currently in prison awaiting trial.

Both leaders are reported to be held at  Congo’s largest penitentiary, the notorious Makala Central Prison, which has a capacity for about 1,500 people but holds more than 12,000 inmates, most of whom are awaiting trial.

Earlier this month, an attempted jailbreak at the prison left 129 people dead, including some who were shot by guards and soldiers and others who died in a stampede at the overcrowded facility, according to authorities.

Kikuni was arrested earlier this month for “incitement of civil disobedience” and “spreading false rumors” and is currently held by Congo’s intelligence agency.

Last month, Congo announced its intention to apply for a seat on the UN Human Rights Council. 

The decision was heavily criticized by the opposition and various civil society organizations, including the Bill Clinton Peace Foundation, which said Congo does not meet the conditions necessary to claim such a position of international responsibility and that the country’s human rights record would discredit the institution.