A Congolese presidential candidate has been sentenced to seven years in prison for insulting the president.

Jean-Marc Kabund, a former vice president of parliament, was found guilty of 12 charges, including spreading false rumours and contempt of the head of state.

Kabund was arrested in August 2022 after he called President Felix Tshisekedi a "danger" and lambasted his government in a speech. He has been held in Kinshasa's main prison since then.

His lawyer, Kadi Diko, said that the court sentenced Kabund to four months each for the first nine offences and 16 months each for the last three. The most serious offences were "spreading false rumours" and "contempt for heads of state and parliament."

Diko said that the sentence was "extremely harsh" and that there was no appeal process.

Kabund was not present for the verdict, but he defended himself in a hearing last month. He said that he had asked the people to do everything in their power to ensure that Tshisekedi was excluded from the next elections.

"I believe that the country is in great danger under his leadership," Kabund told the court.

Congo is expected to hold a general election on December 20, in which Tshisekedi is likely to seek a second term. Political tensions have been rising ahead of the vote.

An opposition spokesman was shot dead in Kinshasa in July, while opposition parties have held violent demonstrations denouncing irregularities in voter registration.

Kabund was sentenced by the Court of Cassation, one of Congo's highest courts. The court does not allow appeals.

Kabund had announced his intention to run for president as head of his "Alliance for Change" party in the upcoming vote.

The presidency has not commented on the verdict.