A Maputo court has acquitted six students who were tried for contempt of authorities after they organized a march against “inhumane conditions” at the Escola Superior de Ciências Náuticas boarding school.
“In fact, this case probably shouldn’t even have been tried, it shouldn’t have gotten to this point,” the judge in charge of the case said after announcing the acquittal of those accused of the crime of insubordination on Monday. what they were accused of.
He also pointed to a “lack of evidence” and stated that “the detention of the students was excessive,” even saying that at the trial the police officer failed to “explain” how he “came to commit the crime.” about disobedience.”
These are six students who were detained from 2 to 5 October and were later released by the Maputo Judicial Court after their identity and residence were confirmed as part of the process. in which they were accused of disrespecting the authorities after they organized a march against “inhumane conditions” at the Escola Superior de Ciências Náuticas boarding school.
Mozambique’s higher education minister vowed on Thursday to investigate the matter “to see what the students’ rights are and, of course, what the school’s position is.”
“There are already teams working on the case,” Daniel Niwagara said.
It was reported that a group of students were detained on the school grounds after organizing a march against the Ministry of Transport and Communications, which oversees the institution, asking for improved conditions at the boarding school.
The student Lusa had previously heard described the “inhumane conditions” at the boarding school, mainly the lack of food and hygiene issues, given that students had tried to alert the facility several times but were unable to find a solution.
“We just went to complain about our rights. The rights that are stated in the advertisements. The documents say that we have the right to food, for example,” a student who visited the institution with other students. Lusa recounted the last few days in court, waiting for news about his colleagues.
In response to Lusa’s appeal, the institution’s management sent a response to the “opportune moment.”
The accused students, aged between 21 and 25, are from the provinces of Sofala, Manica, Maputo and Inhambane, central and southern Mozambique, and reside at a boarding school in the Mozambican capital.
The court’s decision was announced after hearing on Monday the school management and police officers who detained the students.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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