Urgent Action: Human Rights Defender And Journalist Charged (Angola: UA 155.17)

October 13, 2017

Human rights defender Rafael Marques de Morais and journalist Mariano Brás Lourenço have formally been charged with ‘defamation of a public authority’ and ‘outrage to a sovereign body’ in relation to an article they published on questionable acquisition of public land by the Angolan General Public Prosecutor. Both charges carry a penalty of one year in prison and three years in prison respectively.

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Human rights defender Rafael Marques de Morais and journalist Mariano Brás Lourenço have formally been charged with ‘defamation of a public authority’ and ‘outrage to a sovereign body’ in relation to an article they published on questionable acquisition of public land by the Angolan General Public Prosecutor. Both charges carry a penalty of one year in prison and three years in prison respectively.

1) TAKE ACTION

Write a letter, send an email, call, fax or tweet:

  • Urging Angolan authorities to immediately drop all the charges against Rafael Marques de Morais and Mariano Brás Lourenço, as they have been charged solely for peacefully exercising their right to freedom of expression;
  • Calling on the authorities to end the practice of harassment and intimidation of people peacefully expressing their views, and to uphold the right to freedom of expression;
  • Calling on them to repeal all legislation which unduly limits freedom of expression.

Contact these two officials by 24 November, 2017:

Minister of Justice and Human Rights
Rui Jorge Carneiro Mangueira
Ministry of Justice and Human Rights
Rua 17 de Setembro, No. 32
CP 1986 Luanda, Republic of Angola
E-mail: [email protected]
Salutation: Your Excellency

Ambassador Agostinho Tavares Da Silva Neto
Embassy of the Republic of Angola
2100-2108 16th St NW, Washington DC 20009
Phone: 1 202 785 1156
Fax: 202.822.9049
Contact Form: http://www.angola.org/index.php?page=contact-us
Salutation: Dear Ambassador

2) LET US KNOW YOU TOOK ACTION

Click here to let us know if you took action on this case! This is Urgent Action 155.17
Here’s why it is so important to report your actions: we record the actions taken on each case—letters, emails, calls and tweets—and use that information in our advocacy.

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