Angolan activists were detained without food for days because family meals were not allowed

The lawyer for four Angolan activists sentenced last week to two years and five months in prison said this Wednesday that they have not been fed for several days because authorities do not allow them to receive food from their families.

Zola Bambi noted that the appeal of the four activists, Adolfo Campos, Gilson da Silva Moreira “Tanaise Neutro”, Ermenegildo Andre “Gildo das Ruas” and Abraan Pedro Santos “Pensador or Son of the Revolution”, is ongoing, and clarified that Journalist Daniel Jonas “Pensador “, also detained while attempting to hold a demonstration in support of motorcycle taxi drivers, was acquitted by the court.

According to Zola Bambi, contrary to what is reported on social media, his constituents are not on hunger strike, but they are not allowed to receive food from home by order of the authorities.

“There was never a hunger strike; a situation arose when, from the moment of their arrest, they were asked for food,” he emphasized.

The lawyer also mentioned that in the case of Adolfo Campos, he had not eaten for at least 12 days, while Gilson Moreira “Tanais Neutro”, who is in the Caquila prison, managed to receive food delivered by his wife on Monday.

“There was an opportunity to get food [a ele]the woman was here in the office and told us that Tanais received food and began to eat,” he emphasized.

According to Zola Bambi, the remaining activists, namely Adolfo Campos in the Calomboloca prison, Ermenegildo Andre in the central district of Luanda, Abraan Pedro Santos “Pensador or Filho da Revolución” in the Viana district, do not have access to food. for your family members.

“They’re talking about a strike [de fome]but this is not a strike, a hunger strike is when a person voluntarily puts himself in a situation of not wanting to eat as a sign of protest or statement, in their case it is an obstacle and obstacle that the prison authorities create to deliver food to them,” he clarified.

The defense emphasizes that all of its clients have the opportunity to receive food delivered by their family, subject to special protocols “to avoid fears of possible poisoning.”

“The point of these activists is that this exception can also be made and has been made. We don’t understand why they are preventing this at the moment because it is the discretionary power of each person in charge (…) they really don’t want to do it because they understand that they will have to create obstacles,” he added.

The activists were detained as they tried to protest against restrictions the provincial government wants to impose on the movement of motorcycle taxi drivers on main roads in the Angolan capital.