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PRESS
RELEASE NR.01/UNITA/ MEMORANDUM ON NON-COMPLIANCE BY THE MPLA 1975-1998 CARTA ABERTA AOS POVOS DE EXPRESSÃO PORTUGUESA
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Global Campaign For Free Expression (London) December 13, 2000 London Angolan journalist and human rights activist Rafael Marques faced further official harassment on the afternoon of 12 December when officials at Luanda airport prevented him from leaving the country and confiscated his passport, even though he had official papers which should have ensured he could travel freely. To mark the 25th anniversary of Angolan independence, President dos Santos announced a general amnesty for a large number of people on 11 November 2000. Last week Manuel Augusto, Vice-Minister for Social Communications, assured international campaigning group Human Rights Watch that this amnesty included Marques, who had been convicted of criminal defamation in March 2000. John Barker, Head of ARTICLE 19's Africa Programme said: "We are disappointed that the authorities' harassment of Rafael Marques is continuing, despite assurances at the highest level that the case has been laid to rest. We call upon the Angolan government to ensure that the amnesty is upheld and that targeting of human rights activists and media workers ceases immediately." The Supreme Court upheld the defamation conviction. Although the six months' prison sentence was suspended for five years, Marques was not supposed to talk or write publicly, or to travel during this time. In addition, while his fine was reduced to 50,000 Kwanzas (approx. US$3,762), he was fined an additional 50 Kwanzas per day for six months to be paid to the court for costs. |
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Última actualização/Last update 17-12-2000 |
