In a statement, the parliamentary group of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), led by Adalberto da Costa Júnior, also considers the acts to be "undemocratic and illegal" and promises to ask for a hearing in parliament for the Minister of Interior and General Commander of the National Police.
In the note, UNITA deputies say that they became aware of the arrest of young activists and students who demonstrated, on Saturday, in the Santana Cemetery square, in Luanda, "against the discrimination that students who wear 'Afro hair' are targeting. ", as well as the arbitrary detention of journalist Borralho Ndomba, "who was duly identified and in full exercise of his professional activity".
In this sense, UNITA "condemns these undemocratic and illegal acts" and urges "the authorities to respect the Constitution of the Republic and the law with regard to freedom of assembly and demonstration, expression and the press, definitively ending the arrests of citizens who demand respect for their constitutional rights and for journalists in the full exercise of their functions".
The UNITA parliamentary group sympathizes with the journalist and the young detainees and encourages them "to keep alive their determination to always fight for the dignity of the human person".
As for journalists, the party stresses that the "mission and duty to inform truthfully should not be restricted by any constituted power", therefore appealing to them "not to be intimidated".
At the same time, the UNITA parliamentary group promises "as soon as possible" to request a parliamentary hearing from the Minister of the Interior and the General Commander of the National Police, with the aim of "safeguarding the performance of law enforcement and security forces in strict respect of citizenship rights".
On Saturday, journalist Borralho Ndomba was arrested while covering a protest against the imposition of haircuts in schools, as were 14 students, all of whom have already been released.
