A former senior Belgian diplomat has appealed a court ruling ordering him to stand trial over the 1961 assassination of Patrice Lumumba, the first prime minister of Democratic Republic of Congo.

According to his lawyer, 93-year-old Etienne Davignon filed the appeal after a Belgian court ruled on March 17 that he should face prosecution for his alleged role in the killing. Davignon, a former vice-president of the European Commission, is the only surviving suspect among those accused of involvement in the case.

Prosecutors allege that Davignon, who was a junior diplomat at the time, took part in the unlawful detention and transfer of Lumumba, effectively denying him the right to a fair trial. Beyond confirming the appeal, his lawyer declined to provide further comments.

Lumumba rose to power following Congo’s independence from Belgium in 1960 but was removed from office within months. He was later executed on January 16, 1961, by separatist forces backed by Belgian interests.

A Belgian parliamentary inquiry in 2002 concluded that Belgium bore “moral responsibility” for Lumumba’s death. However, the case against Davignon marks the first criminal prosecution linked to the assassination, potentially representing the last chance to establish legal accountability in one of the most controversial chapters of Belgium’s colonial history.

Despite serving only briefly in office, Lumumba remains a powerful symbol of anti-colonial struggle, as African nations fought for independence throughout the 1960s.