In a report presented this Tuesday in Luanda, Mudei highlights that the detainees are in prisons in the provinces of Cuando Cubango, Moxico, Lunda Norte and Lunda Sul, the latter being the one that houses the largest number of detainees, now in the process of judgment.
According to the movement, the arrests began on October 6, 2023 and continued until March 27 of this year, the date of the last record they had at the time of preparing the report.
This report essentially addresses human rights violations "which originate from the political and socioeconomic situation in the eastern regions of the country, specifically Moxico, Cuando Cubango, Lundas Sul and Norte".
The research mentions "problems of political persecution, arbitrary arrests and unfair trials against protesting citizens and members of an independence movement in the region, the so-called Sociological Legal Manifesto of the Lundês People (MJSPL)".
According to the study, the eastern region of the country has been the scene of movements of a similar nature for several years, referring to the Lunda Tchokwe Protectorate Movement, led by José Mateus Zecamutchima, arrested between 2021 and 2023, convicted "for allegedly being the mentor of an alleged rebellion".
In the province of Moxico, there are 24 detainees, of which 22 are members of the MSJPL, accused of the crimes of high treason, resistance and damage to things of value and public interest, he adds.
For Mudei, the accusation "does not work", highlighting that "there are, among the detainees, defendants who were detained two months after the first ones, with there not even being an individualization of the facts or the level of participation in each of the crimes attributed to the co-defendants".
In Lunda Sul, there were 240 detainees in Saurimo, capital of the province, currently reduced to 180, who continue to be detained awaiting trial, with another four awaiting release and two convicted of previous crimes.
Those detained in this diamond province are being accused of the crimes of rebellion, criminal association, participation in riots, bodily harm, damage and disobedience to the order of dispersal and gatherings.
In the province of Lunda Norte, there were 25 detainees, of which 18 have already been released, with the remaining seven remaining in detention, awaiting trial.
In conclusion, Mudei highlights, in the report, that, from the steps taken, "it becomes clear that there are serious and frequent violations of human rights and irregularities in the judicial process in the eastern regions of Angola".
"Arbitrary detention, unconstitutional practices and the lack of transparency in trials demand an urgent, more in-depth analysis and concrete measures to guarantee justice and respect for the fundamental rights of those detained", he adds.
"In a scenario marked by arbitrary arrests, abuses of power and disrespect for fundamental rights, the actions of the Mudei Civic Movement and the investigations carried out highlight the importance of surveillance and the defense of human rights in Angola", he concludes.
To prepare the report, members of the MSJPL, family members and lawyers of some of the detainees were consulted, as well as local court officials, the document states.
