José Mateus Zeca Mutchima, known as Zeca Mutchima, who has been detained for almost a year in Luanda, arrived in Dundo, capital of Lunda Norte, on Thursday in a military plane.
"Fortunately, he is here, in Lunda Norte, with his co-religionists" Salvador Freire told Lusa, adding that the MPPLT leader is excited about the start of the trial.
Of the 28 MPPLT members arrested for alleged involvement in the demonstration in Cafunfo that, in January of last year, resulted in more than a dozen deaths, only 14 are going to trial.
Another six died - one of which this month - and the rest have already been released, which Salvador Freire believes will also happen to the remaining defendants.
"What we are going to fight and hope for is the freedom of these people, this is the fundamental thing and what leads us to this trial", the defender told Lusa.
"I believe everything will go well," he added.
MPPLT members are charged with the crime of associating criminals and promoting an illegal demonstration.
Among the accused is also Mwana Capenda, a local soba.
At the door of the courtroom, some mwanangana (traditional authorities) are waiting for the start of the session, which was scheduled for 9 am, but has not yet started due to a power failure, which has left the Chitato district court in darkness.
The courthouse entrance is protected by a police cordon and the room is guarded by members of the prison services.
Zeca Mutchima has been detained by the Criminal Investigation Service since February 8, 2021, indicted for the crimes of "association of malefactors and armed rebellion", following the incidents of January 30, 2021, in Cafunfo.
The trial, which places a further 25 defendants in the dock, will take place in Dundo, in this Angolan province.
According to the police, about 300 people linked to the MPPLT, which for years has defended autonomy in that region rich in mineral resources, tried to invade, in the early hours of January 30, 2021, a police station in Cafunfo, and in defense the forces of order and security killed six people.
The police version is contradicted by the leaders of the MPPLT, political parties in the opposition and local civil society, who speak of more than a dozen deaths.
Zeca Mutchima is appointed by the authorities as the leader of this alleged "act of rebellion", which for local citizens was a "peaceful demonstration".
The Angolan Public Ministry (MP) accused Zeca Mutchima and 25 protesters involved in protests in Cafunfo, in an order, for committing crimes of outrage against the State and its symbols and association of criminals.
According to the order that Lusa had access to, Zeca Mutchima is being accused in a single case with 25 other co-defendants, having in common the crimes of outrage to the State and its symbols and association of malefactors, while the protesters will respond also for the crimes of rebellion.
The order states that the 25 co-defendants and others, in a composition of 400 people, belonging to the so-called MPPLT, armed with firearms, of the AKM type, shotguns, arrows, irons, sticks, cutting instruments, handcrafted explosive devices, forks (fisgas), small axes, machetes and statues of superstition moved to the premises where the police station in Cafunfo operates, with the aim of occupying it.
