Angolan Union of Journalists Condemns Angolan Police Abuses Against Journalists

The Angolan Journalists’ Union (SJA) on Monday denounced the “abuse of power” by the police against journalists while covering protests and demonstrations, actions “that are repetitive” and do not require “any accountability.”

The SJA statement referred to an incident that occurred on Saturday involving journalists covering an attempted demonstration in Luanda that was prevented by the National Police.

According to the union, Rádio Despertar employee Paulino Aurelio, who has been duly identified, was taken to the police station as a result of “insulting” behavior by agents, while Lusa journalist Raquel Rio “was intimidated and forced to hand over photographic material, which did not happen thanks to the intervention of an officer present at the scene.”

According to the SJA, these actions by the National Police officers are repetitive in nature and constitute an attack on freedom of the press under the provisions of the Criminal Code (Article 226).

“The SJA regrets that these actions by the National Police officers, which are repetitive in nature, do not entail any accountability on the part of the institution of which they are a part, which could mean an incentive to violate fundamental freedoms and guarantees, in particular for journalists,” the document says.

The union calls on journalists to criminally participate in these actions in order to demand that members of the National Police respect the freedom of the press enshrined in the Constitution of the Angolan Republic.

A group of people planned to demonstrate in the Angolan capital on Saturday against the Law on Crimes of Vandalism against Public Goods and Services, but the protest attempt was stopped by police after dozens of activists were arrested.

The demonstration was stopped by police as unauthorized, and several activists and a journalist were detained at the gathering place, the Santa Ana cemetery.