Author: Administrador

Trial of 15 Detained Peaceful Activists is a Travesty of Justice

The trial of 15 peaceful activists who have been held unlawfully for almost five months and charged with preparing “rebellion and a coup attempt” will be a crucial test for the independence of Angola’s judiciary, said Amnesty International ahead of their expected court appearance on 16 November 2015. The 15 men were arrested and detained by Angolan security forces between 20 and 24 June 2015 in Luanda after attending a meeting to discuss politics and governance concerns. Amnesty International considers them to be prisoners of conscience and it is calling for their immediate and unconditional release. “The continued detention of the 15 activists amounts to a travesty of justice as they have been arrested solely for peacefully exercising their right to freedom of association and expression,” said Muleya Mwananyanda, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for Southern Africa. “The charges against them must be dropped and state authorities must ensure their immediate […]

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Independence Celebrations Marred by Crackdown on Human Rights

President José Eduardo dos Santos’s tightening stranglehold on freedom of expression in Angola and his government’s decades of fear and repression will cast an indelible stain on the 40th anniversary of the country’s independence, said Amnesty International today. As dignitaries and foreign leaders gather in the capital Luanda to mark four decades of independence, at least 16 activists continue to languish in Angolan jails. “40 years after independence, many Angolans still have a long way before they realise their human rights freedoms. Those who express views that differ from those of the regime are subjected to brutal treatment. Independence should also be about people being allowed to freely express themselves,” said Muleya Mwananyanda, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for Southern Africa. “Many human rights defenders are suffering in jail merely for asking for accountability and respect for human rights. The state is using police and the judiciary to entrench fear and […]

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Amnesty Calls on Angola to Release Detained Activists

Human rights group Amnesty International has renewed efforts to secure the release of 16 Angolan activists, including rapper Luaty Beirão, who have been in detention for over 100 days, after being arrested and charged with planning to attack and oust Angolan President José Eduardo dos Santos. Beirão is currently on his 17th day of a hunger strike and is already in critical condition. If convicted, the activists face up to 12 years in prison. Amnesty International’s deputy director for southern Africa, Noel Kututwa said holding the activists in detention was “another attempt by the Angolan authorities to intimidate anyone who has a differing view in the country”. “The authorities must immediately and unconditionally release the detained activists, who are prisoners of conscience, and stop intimidating human rights activists,” Kututwa said in a statement. According to Amnesty, the activists had been attending a meeting concerning human rights violations and governance issues, […]

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Kenyan and Angolan Journalists Awarded Prize for Integrity

Two African journalists known for exposing corruption in their respective countries of Kenya and Angola have been named the joint recipients of the 2015 Allard Prize for International Integrity. The Peter A. Allard School of Law at the University of British Columbia presented John Githongo and Rafael Marques de Morais with the Allard Prize at a special ceremony last night. The $100,000 prize is one of the world’s largest awards recognizing efforts to combat corruption and to promote human rights. As joint recipients, Mr. Githongo and Mr. Marques de Morais were each awarded $50,000 for their brave efforts in protecting human rights and fighting corruption. “It is a singular honour and a humbling experience to be selected for the Allard Prize,” says Mr. Githongo. “This recognition serves as an encouragement and as an important recognition that there is across the world a partnership between all people who care about human […]

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Mosquito: Isabel dos Santos’ Proxy

África Monitor reported in its March 4 edition on two investments made recently in Portugal by the Angolan businessman António Mosquito: investments that were shown to be initiatives of Isabel dos Santos.   According to the publication, Isabel dos Santos chose “not to reveal her self” as the buyer of the purchase of 66.7 percent of the construction company Soares da Costa and of 27.5 percent of Controlinveste, a media conglomerate that owns the daily paper Diário de Notícias and the radio station TSF.   António Mosquito became chairman of Soares da Costa, and through his Grupo António Mosquito (GAM) invested €70 million (US$ 96.1 million) in the business.   Regarding the Controlinveste deal there is no information available about the size of the Angolan investment, which was made alongside an investment by Luís Montez, the son-in-law of the Portuguese President Aníbal Cavaco Silva.   The report by journalist Xavier […]

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Regedor Capenda-Camulemba Detido nas Lundas

Lisboa (Lusa) – O ativista e jornalista angolano Rafael Marques afirmou hoje à Lusa que a polícia angolana prendeu um chefe tradicional que foi sua testemunha no julgamento do processo Diamantes de Sangue, no qual responde por difamação. “Está detido desde as 09:00 (08:00 em Lisboa) no Comando Municipal da Polícia de Capenda Camulemba e quem me prestou a informação foi o próprio secretário” (do chefe tradicional), disse à Lusa Rafael Marques. De acordo com o jornalista e ativista de direitos humanos angolano, não foi formalizada qualquer queixa contra o soba Mwana Capenda ,que prestou declarações a um tribunal em Lisboa, este mês, em conjunto com Linda Moisés Rosa, outra testemunha de Rafael Marques no processo que o opõe a vários generais angolanos, que o acusam de difamação pelo conteúdo do livro “Diamantes de Sangue”. Além de serem testemunhas no processo judicial, os dois angolanos denunciaram abusos de direitos humanos […]

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Executive Jets for Manuel Vicente’s Wine

Carlos Duarte: The vice-presidential candidate, Manuel Vicente has expensive taste in fine wines and cognacs. From time to time, Manuel Vicente sends an executive jet to France and Portugal (the luxurious Falcon-900 or the sophisticated Falcon X-7) for the exclusive transportation of wine and cognac for his personal consumption. The flights are operated by VipAir, a company part owned by Sonangol, and no passengers are allowed to travel on those flights. Some recent examples highlight how the current minister of State for Economic Coordination and probable successor to José Eduardo dos Santos at the presidency of the republic and the MPLA, is completely indifferent to the living conditions of the majority of Angolan citizens, who don’t even have access to clean drinking water. In Paris, the crew of the Falcon-900, on a mission to collect wine and cognac for Manuel Vicente, was not allowed to transport a second VipAir crew […]

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