On Friday, Angolan investigative journalist Rafael Marques de Morais was arrested in Luanda just a few yards from a courthouse while interviewing protesters who had been released. In other words, he was simply doing his job. Two other journalists, freelancer Alexandre Neto and Voice of America reporter Coque Mukuta, were also arrested, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. The police did not charge Marques, but they did take the journalists into custody, and later released them. “For more than an hour, the special police forces taunted us with death threats. One of the top commanders personally stomped on me with such a violence and vengeance,” Marques said via email on Monday. The police officer hurt Marques’ back in particular. He said he was still in pain on Sunday after the ordeal. The police also confiscated their equipment and later returned it, but a camera that was worth $2,000 was destroyed. Marques, who runs the website Maka Angola, co-authored an article with me in FORBES magazine in August detailing how Isabel dos Santos, the eldest daughter of Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos, amassed a fortune that FORBES pegs at $3 billion — primarily as a result of stakes she received in Angolan telecom, bank and cement companies, as well as stakes she purchased in several Portuguese companies. Former Angolan prime minister Marcolino Moco told FORBES, “There is no doubt that it was the father who generated such a fortune.” A spokesman for Isabel dos Santos took issue with FORBES’ conclusions, saying, “Mrs. Isabel dos Santos is an independent business woman, and a private investor representing solely her own interests. Her investments in Angolan and/or in Portuguese companies are transparent and have been conducted through arms-length transactions involving external entities such as reputed banks and law firms.” The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) issued a statement condemning the arrest of Marques and the other journalists. “The brutal actions of the Angolan police were clearly meant to intimidate these journalists and obstruct their reporting,” CPJ Africa Advocacy Coordinator Mohamed Keita said in the statement. “We call on Angolan authorities punish the officers responsible and to ensure that journalists are allowed to report freely.” This is not the first time that Marques has been arrested. “Unfortunately, President Dos Santos’ regime can get away with any kind of human rights abuses, because of the oil and diamonds he uses to buy international legitimacy,” Marques said via email. On Friday Sept. 20 Angola’s Secretary of State for Human Rights António Bento Bembe told CPJ that he was not aware of the journalists’ detentions. The deputy commander of the Angolan National Police, chief commissioner Paulo de Almeida, declined to comment to CPJ.
Posted on: Tue, 24 Sep 2013 03:58:41 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015