Police says detained activist claims to work for an NGO financed to destabilize Mozambique

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Police says detained activist claims to work for an NGO financed to destabilize Mozambique

9:07 CAT | 13 Feb 2024

File photo: Social Media

The Police of the Republic of Mozambique (PRM) said on Sunday that the activist detained on Saturday for alleged incitement to violence had stated that he works for a non-governmental organization (NGO) financed by Germany to “destabilize the country”.

“Everything occurred in the middle of operational work where he also stated that he belongs to an NGO financed by the German government to destabilize the country through statements that incite violence,” Nampula police spokesman Dércio Samuel declared in Nampula, in northern Mozambique.

Lusa asked for a reaction from the German Embassy in the Mozambican capital, but has not yet received a response.

Joaquim Pachoneia, a local activist from the Mentes Resilientes Association, was arrested on Saturday for allegedly inciting violence and insulting the Mozambican president and police in the city of Nampula.

“In addition to agitating young people to commit violence, he hurled insults of various kinds against the head of state [Filipe Nyusi] and the PRM leaders. In one of the videos he even called PRM members “dogs of a breed that only think and act in compliance with their owner’s orders,” the Nampula police spokesman revealed.

The Mozambican police also accuse the young activist of inciting people to attack and, using superstitious methods, curse the recently sworn-in members of municipal assemblies following the October 11 elections, a claim strongly contested by the opposition and civil society.

“It is assumed that freedom of the press is a constitutional right (…) However, the statements made by the accused do not aim for the same purpose and exceed the limits of freedom of expression, translating into offenses against the good name and honour of people,” the corporation spokesperson added.

On Saturday, the president of the Mentes Resilientes Association told Lusa that the activist, known as Jota Pachoneia, had been taken from his home in the early hours of the morning by an armed group to an unknown location, a version contradicted by the police, who said that his detention took place at Nampula International Airport.

The 36-year-old activist is known locally for his critical approach to authorities, and, according to the association he belongs to, complained of threats in response to his comments on social media.

Source: Lusa