Court to hear closing arguments in trial of Cabo Delgado attacks

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Court to hear closing arguments in trial of Cabo Delgado attacks

3:47 CAT | 27 Feb 2019

Cabo Delgado Judicial Court in northern Mozambique on Thursday hears the closing arguments in the trial of 189 people accused of involvement in the armed violence that has plagued the province since October 2017.

Trial judge Geraldo Patricio said today that the first phase of the closing arguments would be reserved for the public prosecutor’s summary of accusations brought against the defendants.

The next stage would be devoted to the defence, followed by a reading of the sentence.

Judge Patrício said that, because of the high number of defendants, the closing arguments would be made in the two prisons where most of those implicated are detained.

The trial of the 189 defendants began on October 3, 2018, and the hearings took place over 20 sessions.

Among the defendants are Mozambicans and foreigners, mostly from Tanzania, a country bordering the Mozambican districts that have been targeted by armed groups.

Neither the dozens of detentions nor the ongoing trial have been able to contain the violence in Cabo Delgado, where attacks by armed groups and accusations of human rights abuses against the Defence and Security Forces continue to multiply.

According to official figures, at least 140 people, including residents, alleged attackers and members of the security forces, have died since the wave of violence began.

Source: Lusa