The pardon takes into account "the good behavior" and the "absence of social danger in the return to freedom" of the various convicts, who are detained in different provinces.
Among these are José Filomeno de Sousa dos Santos "Zenu", son of former president José Eduardo dos Santos, and former president of the Sovereign Fund of Angola, who had been convicted with three other defendants for crimes of embezzlement, embezzlement and influence trafficking, and digital influencer Ana da Silva Miguel "Neth Nahara" sentenced to two years in prison for insulting the President of the Republic, João Lourenço, on TikTok.
Also covered by the pardon are activists Abrão Pedro dos Santos "Pensador", Adolfo Miguel Campos André, Gilson da Silva Moreira "Tanaice Neutro", Hermenegildo José Victor André "Gildo das Ruas" imprisoned since September 2023 for outraging and insulting the President of the República when they participated in a protest by motorcycle taxi drivers.
Amnesty International had an ongoing campaign for the release of the activists and Neth Nahara, arguing that the Angolan Constitution protects freedom of expression.
President João Lourenço, who had announced the pardon in his year-end message addressed to Angolans, highlighted that the "act of clemency" is part of the celebrations of 50 years of national independence, Christmas and New Year.
Angola celebrates the 50th anniversary of independence on November 11, 2025 and João Lourenço wants the celebrations of this date to be held in an atmosphere of harmony, concord and fraternity and that the "feeling of patriotism and love for the country can include citizens in fulfillment of custodial sentence".
The presidential decree comes into force on January 1, 2025.
