(MISA/IFEX) – During the weekend of 8 to 9 November 2003, Radio Mozambique journalist Salvador Januario was detained by members and sympathisers of Mozambique’s former rebel movement, the Resistencia Nacional Mocambicana (RENAMO). Januario was held captive for several hours at the local RENAMO offices in the northern province of Cabo Delgado. The incident took place […]
(MISA/IFEX) – During the weekend of 8 to 9 November 2003, Radio Mozambique journalist Salvador Januario was detained by members and sympathisers of Mozambique’s former rebel movement, the Resistencia Nacional Mocambicana (RENAMO). Januario was held captive for several hours at the local RENAMO offices in the northern province of Cabo Delgado.
The incident took place in the town of Montepuez, where Januario had reported on illegal activities by RENAMO supporters who had been seen tearing down other political parties’ election propaganda flyers.
The same RENAMO group also threatened vendors in the Montepuez market. The vendors fled for their lives, fearing a repeat of the RENAMO insurrection of 9 November 2000, in which 21 people were killed.
Januario immediately reported these incidents on Radio Mozambique’s national service. His report displeased the Montepuez RENAMO branch, which sent thugs to look for him. Several hours after his report was broadcast, Januario was detained and taken to the RENAMO office. He was held for more than three hours and interrogated.
After his ordeal, Januario said he would not press charges against RENAMO, partly because he feared reprisals and partly because he still has to cover the remainder of the election campaign in Montepuez.
By holding Januario in their offices, RENAMO committed the crime of “private imprisonment”, which is subject to a prison sentence of two to eight years.
Under the Mozambican press law, when a journalist is illegally detained or harassed as a result of his professional work, his employer must take legal action against the perpetrators. As such, Radio Mozambique has a legal obligation to sue RENAMO. It is not Januario’s responsibility to press charges.
Since the detention of Januario constitutes a “public crime”, other bodies can also take action. The electoral bodies could press charges and the police could act on their own initiative, without waiting for a complaint from Januario.
The National Governing Council of MISA-Mozambique has condemned this brutal and intolerable act.
On 10 November, MISA-Mozambique urged all parties and candidates in the local election to refrain from taking any actions that could intimidate journalists or prevent them from carrying out their work of informing the public.
