OAM to grant legal aid to poor prisoners whose pre-trial detention periods have expired – Mozambique

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OAM to grant legal aid to poor prisoners whose pre-trial detention periods have expired – Mozambique

9:14 CAT | 18 May 2021

FILE - Illustrative photo. [File photo: Folha de Maputo]

The Mozambican Bar Association (OAM) has publicly announced the promotion of legal assistance and counselling, particularly for prisoners from poor social backgrounds whose pre-trial detention periods have expired, but who remain under illegal custody in prisons across the country.

The move, which will be carried out by the Association’s Human Rights Commission (CDHOAM), is intended to monitor and control detentions and imprisonments and ensure compliance with the norms applicable for pre-trial detention of inmates, especially in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic.

A press release issued on Monday by OAM [ original text,in Portuguese, HERE] said that its legal staff will monitor the effectiveness of “habeas corpus”, the judicial mechanism for the defence of the human rights of citizens whose pre-trial detention has expired. The new Mozambican Criminal Procedure Code recognises the importance of habeas corpus writs.

Such writs are used across the world to bring prisoners or detainees before a court to determine whether continued detention is legal.

The Bar Association says it is open to denunciations of illegal detentions to be made either face-to-face or virtually by the inmates, their relatives or through other available mechanisms. Denunciations can also be made during the regular visits by OAM staff to prisons.

Source: AIM