(MISA/IFEX) – On 3 April 1998, two journalists working for the newspaper “Folha 8”, along with a driver, were detained for a week after being accused of being spies for the Angolan opposition force, UNITA, and of stopping their car illegally in a police zone. According to a report in “Folha 8”, the journalists, Victoria […]
(MISA/IFEX) – On 3 April 1998, two journalists working for the newspaper
“Folha 8”, along with a driver, were detained for a week after being accused
of being spies for the Angolan opposition force, UNITA, and of stopping
their car illegally in a police zone.
According to a report in “Folha 8”, the journalists, Victoria Ferreira and
Felisberto Neto, had gone to the Setima Esquadra police station in Luanda to
cover a story of an alleged murder that had taken place at the station. The
problems arose when their driver, Infelis Joao, who is also employed by the
newspaper, stopped his car in an apparent restricted zone. They were
immediately approached by a policeman, who demanded to see their
documentation as well as the documentation for the car. The driver
reportedly did not have all his documentation, and they were instructed to
pay an unfixed fine, but which would be commensurate to the inflation of the
county. The journalists, however, protested saying they were there to cover
a story and find out more information about the alleged murder.
Neto and the driver were then taken away, while Ferreira was told to
accompany the commander of the police station to another part of the
building. Ferreira was then subjected to interrogation of several hours
during which she was asked to name all the reporters working at her paper
and was repeatedly asked if she was a spy for UNITA. She was also questioned
about an anonymous letter that had been published in “Foha 8” recently and
which apparently made some political comments. Ferreira and her two
colleagues were then detained for a week, without any charges being brought
against them. Neto was reportedly also subjected to interrogation during his
detention and was asked the same questions that the police had posed to
Ferreira.
The three were released on 9 April following intervention by the Luanda
Provincial Police Commander, who ordered their release. He reportedly said
that their detention had been a misunderstanding on the part of police
officers at Setima Esquadra. On their release, the journalists were
instructed not to say anything about their interrogation.
