On July 30, 2024, the Saurimo District Court in Lunda Sul province found 198 defendants guilty of allegedly participating in protests supporting regional autonomy in the country's eastern provinces. The court ultimately sentenced them to prison terms ranging from four to eight years and fines, the Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) explained.
"Angolan authorities must respect the right to a fair trial (...) and ensure that the rights of defendants are protected," said HRW's deputy director for Africa, Ashwanee Budoo-Scholtz, quoted in the statement.
In her view, the serious irregularities in the judicial process and the unnecessary delay in hearing appeals indicate that the government is using its institutions to repress the opposition.
In October 2023, the Lunda Tchokwe Protectorate Movement, which advocates political autonomy for eastern Angola, held largely peaceful protests in four cities in the provinces of Lunda Norte (north) and Lunda Sul (south), the NGO explained.
"During and after the protests, the Angolan police responded with excessive force, including tear gas and beatings, and detained dozens of participants and bystanders," it lamented.
The trial of these individuals took place on July 30, 2024.
Authorities charged the defendants with rebellion, criminal association, disobeying orders to disperse, participating in riots, and damaging public property.
The court found that the defendants disobeyed police orders to disperse and threw stones, bottles, and sticks at the police, injuring three police officers and damaging vehicles.
However, the NGO believes the trial was not properly fair.
"A lawyer who attended the trials said the defendants did not have access to lawyers of their own choosing, and some were forced to accept court-appointed lawyers. The trial was held in a makeshift courtroom inside the Luzi district prison and was closed to the public and journalists," he said.
According to the lawyer, in one province, there was only one lawyer representing more than 140 detainees from that region.
Another legal expert told HRW that there are still protesters detained since 2023 who have not yet been tried.
"Article 67 of the Angolan Constitution guarantees all defendants the right to defense, recourse, and legal representation. Angola is also a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, both of which guarantee the right to due process, including legal counsel of one's choice, and a fair trial," the organization noted.
