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Portuguese party wants government to monitor human rights situation in Angola

The Liberal Initiative (IL) wants the Portuguese Government to monitor the human rights situation in Angola and to express concern about recent arrests in the country.

: Ampe Rogério LUSA/EPA
Ampe Rogério LUSA/EPA  

According to a draft resolution presented last Friday in the Portuguese National Assembly, the IL proposes that parliament recommend that the Portuguese government express concern about the recent arrests "and the manner in which police and judicial operations against association leaders and opposition politicians in Angola have been conducted."

According to the document, it also wants the Portuguese government to call for respect for the rule of law, freedom of expression, assembly, and peaceful demonstration, "urging the abandonment of intimidation practices against political opponents and association leaders."

The IL also wants the Portuguese government to advocate, particularly within the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP), the need to strengthen mechanisms for monitoring and promoting fundamental freedoms in member states, "applying the same rigor and demands to all, regardless of political proximity to their respective governments."

The Portuguese government, the IL argues, should encourage dialogue to reduce political tension and prevent further episodes of repression.

The draft resolution follows violent episodes in Angola in recent weeks, with several arrests.

In the document, the IL cites cases of arrests and states that these are not isolated incidents, citing "hundreds of arrests and dozens of deaths" recorded during demonstrations and workers' strikes in recent weeks.

"The pattern is worrying: peaceful protests and strikes are becoming a pretext for disproportionate police operations, which further weaken civic and associative spaces in Angola," the document states, emphasizing that Portugal cannot ignore "signs of deterioration in the rule of law" in one of the CPLP member states.

Several provinces in Angola, with the epicenter in Luanda, experienced protests and riots between July 28 and 30, following a shutdown of taxi services. These protests resulted in 30 deaths, more than two hundred injuries, and more than 1500 arrests, according to Angolan authorities.

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