Press release: Detentions of Human Rights after attack on the Togolese National Team. 15 March 2010 Angolan civil society organizations ACC Association for Constructing Communities (ACC), Association for Justice, Peace and Democracy (AJPD) and the Open Society Foundation-Angola (FOS-A), carried out a mission to the province of Cabinda on 24-25 February 2010 to look into the concerns raised about the current human rights situation in the province.
During the mission, the three organizations met with police, church and judicial authorities in Cabinda, with members of civil society and with some of those detained in the Yabi prison.
After verifying the situation and hearing from the state agencies and civil society in Cabinda, the 3 organizations wish to release the following statement:
- We unequivocally condemn the armed attack carried out by the Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda (FLEC) on the Togolese delegation to the Africa Cup of Nations tournament on 8 January 2010 and call on the Angolan government to use all constitutional and legal means in order to bring to justice the authors of the attack.
- The detainees André Zeferino Puati, José Benjamim Fuka, Dr. Belchior Lanso Tati, Father Raúl Tati, Dr. Francisco Luemba and Barnabé Paca Peso were arrested on different dates and accused of committing crimes against state security under article 26 of Law no. 7/78 26 May [1978] (Law of crimes against state security), in case number 56/2010.
- The other 2 detainees, João António Puati and Daniel Msimba, have been accused of crimes against state security under article 20 of Law no. 7/78 (Crime of armed rebellion, mutiny or uprising), after the armed attack.
- We call on the judicial authorities to guarantee the rights of the detainees/accused as established by the Angolan Constitution and laws to guarantee a speedy, fair and impartial judicial process without prejudice or politicization.
- We believe that the fundamental rights, freedoms and guarantees of the citizens of Cabinda cannot be coerced [violated?], repressed or restricted by the Angolan government for alleged security reasons, without foundation in law and that the aforementioned armed attack cannot be a justification for detaining citizens who are expressing their political opinions and ideas in a responsible and peaceful manner.
For futher information:
Padre Jacinto Pio Wakussanga - ACC
Cell: +244 923 543 546/935 800 084
Antonio Ventura - AJPD
Cell: +244 923 401023
Elias Mateus Isaac - OSI-Angola
Cell: +244 917 45 39 79
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