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Mozambique: MISA condemns detention of seven journalists in Nampula
9:09 CAT | 13 Sep 2021
Image: Misa Moçambique
The Mozambican chapter of the regional press freedom body MISA (Media Institute of Southern Africa) has condemned Thursday’s attack by police officers against seven journalists in the northern city of Nampula city.
The journalists were covering a riot in which protesters complained against an alleged lack of transparency in the payment of Covid-19 pandemic allowances.
A press release issued by MISA on Friday said that the journalists were rounded up by the police at the Nampula provincial delegation of the National Social Welfare Institute (INAS), and were kept inside a tiny compartment so as to prevent them from covering the demonstration.
The group includes Celestino Manuel who works for working for Media Mais TV; Leonardo Gimo and Edmilson Ibrahimo, a journalist and cameraman working for Sucesso TV; Osvaldo Sitora and Emerson Joaquim, who are journalists with Afro TV; and Alberto Junior and Manuel Tadeu from HAQ TV.
Celestino Manuel was handcuffed for about 30 minutes and forced to surrender his camera to the police. Manuel, Alberto Junior and Manuel Tadeu were physically assaulted by the police officers as they refused to delete the scenes of the demonstration they had recorded.
The journalists were set free following intervention by MISA’s provincial representation in Nampula.
MISA strongly condemned this assault against journalists and reminded the authorities that no journalist should be prevented from accessing news sources or attacked while carrying out their professional activities.
“The police authorities should protect and not assault the journalists when covering a public uprising similar to the one which occurred in Nampula on Thursday,” stated the MISA release.
MISA promised to take the appropriate measures for full accountability of the officers involved in the assault.
Source: AIM
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