Mozambique: Lawyers free 2,700 people detained at political protests

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Mozambique: Lawyers free 2,700 people detained at political protests

4:27 CAT | 06 Nov 2024

File photo: Lusa

The president of the Mozambican Bar Association (OAM) said on Wednesday that the contribution of the institution’s professionals has led to the release of 2,700 people detained throughout the country as part of the post-election demonstrations.

“There were 2,700 detainees who are now free as a result of the selfless work of Bar Association member lawyers, who often put their own lives at risk,” Carlos Martins told a press conference in Maputo, in which he called on the President of the Republic to initiate a “genuine dialogue” to avoid a “bloodbath” on Thursday, the day of the national demonstration in Maputo called by presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane.

“Most of them were actually arrests that we call illegal, because they had no trial, and those who did have a trial were also not proven by the prosecution of the facts they were accused of (…). What the court in many cases said, is not that they may not have participated in the violence; what it said was that there was no evidence, and in the absence of evidence they should actually be released,” the chairman of the Mozambican Bar Association said.

He added that others were arrested “without having participated in demonstrations”, but simply “because they were actually on the public highway” at the time.

“We are also monitoring the issue of citizens who were assaulted, who are in hospitals, to verify this. We noticed that most of the citizens who ended up losing their lives (…) almost all of the injuries were to the upper part of the body. The neck, abdomen, the head. And this leads us to another type of exercise and analysis. Because if the aim is to persuade, naturally the shots should go to the lower limbs or into the air. This is the evidence of a more prepared and cautious police force,” Martins said.

He stressed that protest is a constitutional right, but that acts of “violence” by some of the protesters have also been detected in recent days.

“We cannot allow some cases of vandalism being committed by some protesters, some situations that border on crime, to go unpunished. It is also the task of the protesters, it is also the objective of the protesters, to protect society’s assets, both private and public assets. Protests should not be limited or prohibited, but at the same time, we call the protesters to reason. There is nothing that justifies violence, disturbance, the murder of our citizens. We will not respond to violence with violence.”

The chairman of the Mozambican Medical Association (AMM), Napoleão Viola, said on Tuesday that at least 108 people were shot and 16 died in the post-election violence of recent days, admitting that health services are breaking down due to the “pressure” of demand for assistance.

Mozambique’s Minister of National Defence admitted on Tuesday that security forces had gone to “excesses” to contain demonstrations, but warned that the force would react “in proportion” to the actions carried out by protesters.

The announcement by the National Electoral Commission (CNE) of Mozambique on October 24, in which it attributed victory to Daniel Chapo, supported by the Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo, the party in power since 1975) in the election for President of the Republic, with 70.67% of the votes, sparked popular protests, as called for by Venâncio Mondlane.

According to the CNE, Venâncio Mondlane came in second place, with 20.32%, but he stated that he did not recognize these results, which still have to be validated and proclaimed by the Constitutional Council.

After street protests on the 21st, 24th and 25th, which paralysed the country, candidate Venâncio Mondlane has once again called on the population to a seven-day general strike, starting on 31st October, with nationwide street protests that have degenerated into violence and police intervention, and a demonstration concentrated in Maputo this Thursday.

Source: Lusa