MISA has received information about the detention of a journalist in the Namibe province of Angola, who was held for twelve days in January 2000. The information was only received now due to poor communications between Namibe and the capital, Luanda. On 31 December 1999, journalist Francisco Lopes, who is the chief editor of the […]
MISA has received information about the detention of a journalist in the Namibe
province of Angola, who was held for twelve days in January 2000. The information was only received now due to poor communications between Namibe and the capital, Luanda.
On 31 December 1999, journalist Francisco Lopes, who is the chief editor of the Namibe branch of the Angolan national radio, was first assaulted with a gun by his director, Antonio Joaquim Pereira dos Santos. Apparently, the director was angry because Lopes had rearranged the time-slots of several programmes, including news bulletins, that was broadcast on that day. Immediately after being assaulted, Lopes left the station to go home, where he was then arrested later in the day.
According to Lopes, he does not know what he has been charged with. On 11 January, he was taken out of jail to appear in “a summary” trial before a judge, who issued a “julgamento sumario”. He was apparently accused in court of having offended and assaulted the director of his station and of changing the programming of the news. The judge found that the accusations had some irregularities and released Lopes. The judge also ordered that the case be sent to the provincial attorney in order to be reviewed before a new and proper trial was set.
Lopes said he had no idea what he could be charged with. He has also been told that he cannot leave the province without the authorisation of the court. On 14 February, Lopes was called in by the provincial police’s Criminal Investigation Department and questioned on the case.
