No certain cause of death, likely heart-related

Impacts and stress may have triggered heart complaint

KINSHASA,  (Reuters) - An international autopsy team looking into the death of a prominent Congolese human rights activist was unable to give a conclusive cause of death.

The death of Floribert Chebeya, whose corpse was found in his car last month after he was summoned to see the police chief, caused outrage and led to calls for an international investigation.

A joint Dutch and Congolese forensic team conducted the autopsy and delivered its report to Attorney General Flory Kabange Numbi on Thursday. 

"The autopsy could not show with certainty the cause of death," a joint statement said.

But it noted heart problems and signs of recent physical stress. 

The team found "indications of external duress via impact, compression and/or being clasped at the arms and legs". 

"(The) evidence is strongly in favour of a primary cause invoving the heart," the statement said. 

Chebeya suffered from an existing heart problem. 

The activist, who faced harassment for his years of work against arbitrary killings, was found dead on June 2 in the back of his car. The police suggested a sexual liaison had gone wrong. 

The incident happened after Chebeya was called to meet police chief John Numbi. A murder enquiry was launched after Numbi was suspended and several police officers arrested. 

Congo initially declind to hold a joint enquiry despite offers from U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and concern from donors. However, Kinshasa later accepted help from a Dutch forensic team.

Chebeya's death threatened to undermine President Joseph Kabila's attempt to draw a line under the nation's troubled past with a lavish independence jubilee last month.

(Reporting by Katrina Manson; Editing by David Lewis)   

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