**Updates IFEX alerts of 9, 7 and 6 March, 22 February and 13 January 2000, 17 December, 30, 25, 16, 3 and 2 November, 28, 22, 20, 19 and 18 October 1999** (CPJ/IFEX) – The following is a 9 March 2000 CPJ press release: ANGOLA: MARQUES TRIAL ADJOURNED UNTIL MARCH 21 New York, March 9, […]
**Updates IFEX alerts of 9, 7 and 6 March, 22 February and 13 January 2000, 17 December, 30, 25, 16, 3 and 2 November, 28, 22, 20, 19 and 18 October 1999**
(CPJ/IFEX) – The following is a 9 March 2000 CPJ press release:
ANGOLA: MARQUES TRIAL ADJOURNED UNTIL MARCH 21
New York, March 9, 2000 — The trial of Angolan free-lance journalist Rafael Marques, which began today in Luanda before a packed audience of local and international observers, was adjourned until March 21 pending a Supreme Court ruling on an appeal filed by the defense, sources in Luanda told CPJ.
The trial was supposed to take place in the Supreme Court. But when the defendants arrived at the Supreme Court this morning, they were informed that their case had been referred back to the Provincial Criminal Court in Luanda.
The appeal, initially rejected by a Luanda criminal court, was filed to the Supreme Court of Angola by lawyers for Aguiar Dos Santos, Marques’ co-defendant and publisher of the independent weekly Agora. Dos Santos’ lawyers argued that they had not been given sufficient time to prepare their defense, a right guaranteed by the Angolan Constitution. Dos Santos did not appear at the hearings. [Aguiar Dos Santos is not related to President José Eduardo Dos Santos.]
Criminal Court judge Joaquim de Abreu Cangato, who appeared nervous throughout the hearing, agreed to adjourn the trial. He dismissed the prosecutor’s argument that the defendants were not entitled to normal constitutional protections because they were accused of an exceptional “crime against the state,” under Article 46 of the 1920 press law, for defaming President José Eduardo Dos Santos. The judge also ruled that the hearings will be held publicly, against the wishes of the prosecutor and President Dos Santos’ attorney, who had argued that defendants charged with defaming the head of state must be tried in secrecy.
Marques and his two co-defendants were forced to stand throughout the two-hour hearing. The Supreme Court is expected to rule on the Aguiar Dos Santos appeal next week.
