(RSF/IFEX) – The following is an RSF letter to Mozambican Interior Minister Almerino Manhenje protesting the recent re-arrest and poor treatment of journalist Fernando Quinova: **Updates IFEX alerts of 8 March, 5 March, 3 February and 28 January 1999** Almerino Manhenje Minister of the Interior Maputo, Mozambique Paris, 9 March 1999 Mr. Minister, In a […]
(RSF/IFEX) – The following is an RSF letter to Mozambican Interior
Minister
Almerino Manhenje protesting the recent re-arrest and poor treatment of
journalist Fernando Quinova:
**Updates IFEX alerts of 8 March, 5 March, 3 February and 28 January
1999**
Almerino Manhenje
Minister of the Interior
Maputo, Mozambique
Paris, 9 March 1999
Mr. Minister,
In a letter addressed to you on 3 February 1999, Reporters sans
frontières
protested the detention of Fernando Quinova and expressed indignation
concerning the violent acts inflicted upon the Social Communication
Institute (ICS) journalist by Mozambican police officers. At the time,
our
organisation asked that you do everything possible to ensure the
punishment
of those responsible for these illegal and inhuman practices.
We learn that Fernando Quinova has once again been arrested by members
of
the Chiure police (Cabo Delgado region, in the country’s north), after
he
voluntarily returned to the city where he was arbitrarily detained for
twenty three days. On this occasion, the journalist was referred to the
Chiure court, accused of having “slandered the police” and having
“allowed
the filtering of information.” The judge, Raimundo Yassine, declared the
charges to be minor, the second of which was not even defined as a
violation
under Mozambique’s 1991 press law. The judge specified that this case
could
easily be resolved without resorting to incarceration. Nonetheless, the
police is keeping the journalist detained and inflicting degrading
treatment
on him. Fernando Quinova has allegedly been tortured and has been the
victim
of other abuses: held in solitary confinement and limited to one meal
per
day.
Reporters sans frontières urges you to do everything possible to ensure
the
immediate unconditional release of Fernando Quinova. Our organisation is
incensed by the conduct of certain law enforcement officers and urges
you to
ensure that those responsible for this poor behaviour are identified and
punished. Reporters sans frontières reminds you that Mozambique has
ratified
the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Article 7 of
which
stipulates that “no torture, no cruel or degrading treatment are
allowed,”
and Article 19 of which stipulates that “everyone has the right…to
share
and discuss information and ideas.”
In hopes of a positive response, Mr. Minister, please accept my best
regards.
Robert Ménard,
Secretary General
C.C. : The President – Ministry of Communication – Africa n°1 – BBC –
Deutsche Welle – RFI – VOA – AP – AFP – Reuters – Amnesty International
–
Article 19 – Committee to Protect Journalists – Fédération
internationale
des droits de l’homme – United Nations Commission on Human Rights –
Special
Rapporteur on torture – IFEX.
Appeals To
Almerino Manhenje
Minister of the Interior
Maputo, Mozambique
Fax: +258 1 422 0084 / 431 048
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
