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Mozambican journalist Amade Abubacar is still being held by the military in the northern province of Cabo Delgado almost a week after he was detained in the town of Macomia.
The lawyer for the Mozambican chapter of the regional press freedom body MISA (Media Institute of Southern Africa) received confirmation from military sources that Abubacar is being held in the military barracks in Mueda.
After a thorough check the lawyer confirmed that he was not incarcerated in any legitimate jail in Mueda, and that no criminal charges against him have been filed with the Mueda district attorney’s office or the district court.
MISA concluded that Abubacar “is being illegally detained because the 48 hour deadline for presenting him to a magistrate has been greatly exceeded, given that he was seized on 5 January”.
MISA added that the place where is being held “is not appropriate for a civilian”. If his arrest had been legitimate, he would be held in a police cell “and not in a barracks, which is where soldiers who have committed military offences are held”.
MISA says it is fighting to restore legality, so that Abubacar is questioned by legitimate bodies and is granted at least conditional release.
Although there has been no official comment on the reasons for his detention, the military have supposedly accused Abubacar of recruiting local people into the islamist insurgency affecting parts of northern Cabo Delgado. But since no evidence for this claim has been produced, there seems no good reason why his release should be anything other than unconditional.
The international press freedom body “Reporters Sans Frontieres” (RSF) has also called for Abubacar’s immediate and unconditional release. RSF spokesperson Arnaud Froger said he was “just doing his job in a region where reporting is scarce because of the prevailing violence”.
“With nine months to go to a presidential election”, Froger added, “it is important that journalists should be able to access this conflict zone and cover all subjects of concern to the public without being obstructed by the authorities”.
Angela Quintal of the Committee for the Protection of Journalists (CPJ) also called for the immediate release of Abubakar, and urged the Mozambican government to “stop censoring coverage of the insurgency”.
Abubacar works for a community radio station in Macomia, and also strings for the Zitamar News Service.
#Mozambique: It’s been exactly a week since journalist #AmadeAbubacar was arrested in #CaboDelgado while photographing displaced families. His ongoing detention by the military in #Mueda is unlawful. Uphold the rule of law president @FNyusi & #FreeAmade https://t.co/s9gkiF2fC0
— Angela Quintal (@angelaquintal) January 12, 2019
Amade Abubacar’s continued detention violates Mozambique’s own laws and constitution as well as its international and regional obligations, the American Bar Association has said, in a letter to Mozambique’s Minister of Justice.https://t.co/PCOqesR2iW#FreeAmade
— Tom Bowker (@TomBowk) January 12, 2019
#CaboDelgado cannot be a “no go” area for journalists and activists. The #mozambicans have the right to know what is going on in that province. Let people do their job and #FreeAmade pic.twitter.com/f8sl6ZWfMU
— Fatima Mimbire (@fatima_f2m) January 12, 2019
#AmadeAbubacar has not been infomred of charges, has no access to legal counsel & more than 48hrs has lasped without him being taken to court. Torture is most frequently practiced during incommunicado detention. #Mozambique must immiately release him. @Cidiachissungo @Selmamoz
— ABA JusticeDefenders (@JusticeDefend) January 12, 2019
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