Joint Press Release: Detained pro-democracy activists should be released

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JOINT PRESS RELEASE

Geneva-Paris, October 16, 2015 – After almost four months of arbitrarydetention of pro-democracy human rights defenders and following the detentionof 20 individuals who were participating in a vigil to demand their release,the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (a joint FIDH-OMCTprogramme), AJPD and OSISA-Angola call for their immediate and unconditionalrelease after filing a communication to the UN Working Group on ArbitraryDetention.

Thirteen pro-democracy activists namely, Messrs. HenriqueLuaty Beirão (a.k.a. Brigadeiro Mata-Frakuxz), Manuel Nito Alves, NunoAlvaro Dala, Nelson Dibango Mendes Dos Santos, Alfonso JojoMatias (a.k.a. Mbanza Hamza), Sedrick de Carvalho, FernandoAntónio Tómas (a.k.a. Nicola Radical), Hitler Chiconda (a.k.a.Samussuku), Italiano Arante Kivuvu, Benedito Dali (a.k.a. DitoDali), Albano Bingobingo (a.k.a. Albano Liberdade), José GomesHata (a.k.a. Cheik Hata) and Inocénio De Brito (a.k.a. Drux), werearrested by heavily armed police on June 20, 2015, while participating in abook club meeting to discuss human rights violations, democracy and governanceconcerns in Angola, through a reflection on the book by Gene Sharp entitled“From Dictatorship to Democracy”. The next day, journalist and human rightsactivist Mr. Domingos da Cruz was also arrested. Mr. da Cruz wasinitially supposed to take part in the meeting as a speaker, but he finally didnot attend the meeting. On June 24, Mr. Osvaldo Caholo, a reserve militarypersonnel and university professor acquainted to one of the fourteen, was alsoarrested after the police found photos of him during a police search conducted.A total of 15 individuals have been unlawfully detained on trumped up chargesof plotting against the Government fornearly four months .

“We reiterateour strong condemnation of the ongoing arbitrary detention of pro-democracyactivists on trumped up rebellion and plotting charges, which was staged by theauthorities to punish them for peaceful human rights activities and inviolation of the rights recognized by the Universal Declaration of HumanRights”, FIDH President Karim Lahidjisaid.

Mr. Henrique Luaty Beirão has been on a hunger strike for 26days to protest his arbitrary detention. It is reported that his physicalcondition has seriously deteriorated. He was again hospitalised on October 9.Other two activists Albano Bingobingo and Nelson Dibango Mendes Dos Santos havealso been on hunger strike for 12 and five days respectively.

“The situation for human rights defenders inAngola is deteriorating in a very worrying way and the international communitymust be firm in defending their right to carry out their activities without anyhurdles. That is why we have filed a complaint to the Working Group onArbitrary Detention and we are confident that this mechanism will confirm thearbitrariness of these detentions and request their immediate and unconditionalrelease”, OMCT Secretary General GeraldStaberock said.

On October 12, 2015, 20 individualswere arrested for participating in a vigil to demand the release of thedetained human rights defenders.

TheObservatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (OBS) was created in 1997by FIDH and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT). The objective ofthis programme is to intervene to prevent or remedy situations of repressionagainst human rights defenders.

For moreinformation, please contact:

• FIDH: Arthur Manet: + 33143552518

• OMCT:Miguel Martín Zumalacárregui: +324966903 /Delphine Reculeau: +41228094934

•AJPD: Maria Lúcia da Silveira: +244923552478

•OSISA-Angola: Elias Isaac - +244 924674399