Press Release: The Angola 15 must be released and their right to a fair trial guaranteed
Paris-Geneva,November 19, 2015 – As the trial against pro-democracy activists detained sinceJune 2015 opened three days ago in Luanda, the Observatory for the Protectionof Human Rights Defenders (a joint FIDH-OMCT programme) reiterates its call onthe authorities of Angola to release them immediately and unconditionally andto guarantee their right to a fair trial.
After almostfive months of arbitrary detention, the trial of pro-democracyhuman rights defenders Messrs. Henrique Luaty Beirão (a.k.a. BrigadeiroMata-Frakuxz), Manuel Nito Alves, Nuno Alvaro Dala, NelsonDibango Mendes Dos Santos, Alfonso Jojo Matias (a.k.a. Mbanza Hamza),Sedrick de Carvalho, Fernando António Tómas (a.k.a. Nicola Radical),Hitler Chiconda (a.k.a. Samussuku), Italiano Arante Kivuvu, BeneditoDali (a.k.a. Dito Dali), Albano Bingobingo (a.k.a. Albano Liberdade),José Gomes Hata (a.k.a. Cheik Hata), Inocénio De Brito (a.k.a. Drux), Domingosda Cruz as well as of Osvaldo Caholo, finally opened on November 16, 2015.Ms. Rosa Kusso Conde and Ms. Laurinda Manuel Gouveia are alsofacing the same charges, but are not detained. The hearings are expected totake place until November 20, 2015, before the Luanda Provincial Tribunal.
On the firstday of the trial, the defense turned up not having been able to see thecomplete one thousand long file case, including part of the evidence againstthe Angola 15, which is standard and lawful procedure in Angola. Furthermore,although it was announced that the trial would be open to the public, only tworelatives per detainee were allowed inside the court room during the November16 hearing. Representatives from embassies, including the United States, theEuropean Union and Portugal were barred from observing the court proceedings.On the second day of trial, observers, including journalists, were also barredand told to return only for the reading of the verdict. All this constitutesblatant violations of the right to a fair trial, a right that is guaranteed inAngola's constitution and a range of international human rights conventionsbinding Angola.
“Theindividuals unlawfully detained for nearly five months on trumped up charges of'plotting against the Government' are not criminals, they are human rightsdefenders. The Angolan authorities must abide by its human rights commitmentsand release them immediately and unconditionally”,FIDHPresident Karim Lahidji said.
“The detentionof the pro-democracy human rights defenders is arbitrary, as it clearly aims at sanctioning their peaceful humanrights activities. Angola must commit to its obligation to respect and promotethe rights to freedom of expression, opinion and peaceful assembly in allcircumstances”, OMCT Secretary General Gerald Staberock added.
The Angola15 are young activists arrested in June 2015 for discussing democratic reformsand peaceful protest. Most of them are known pro-democracy activists, who havebeen organizing peaceful protests against the 35-year-regime of AngolanPresident Eduardo Dos Santos since 2011. These protests were often repressed bythe authorities. On September 16, 2015, they were charged with “preparatoryacts to rebellion” and “plotting against the President and other institutions”,both of which constitute crimes against the security of the Angolan State.Several experts and institutions have called for their release, including theEuropean Parliament and the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of humanrights defenders.
The Observatory for theProtection of Human Rights Defenders was created in 1997 by FIDH and the WorldOrganisation Against Torture (OMCT). The objective of this programme is tointervene to prevent or remedy situations of repression against human rightsdefenders.
For more information, please contact:
· FIDH: Arthur Manet/Audrey Couprie: + 33 (0) 1 43 55 25 18
· OMCT: Miguel MartínZumalacárregui: + 41 (0) 22 809 49 24