wr2014_web_0

AFRICAplaintiffs of involvement in torture, rape, and killings in a book he published inPortugal in 2011. Angola’s Attorney General’s office shelved a complaint filed byMarques against the generals and business associates in 2012, and has failedto investigate the allegations. Marques has regularly experienced threats,harassment, and pervasive surveillance, including apparently targeted hackerattacks on his computer and blog.On June 11, Domingos da Cruz, journalist of the private weekly Folha 8, wascharged with “instigation of collective disobedience” according to a 1978 lawon crimes against the security of the state. The law was revoked and replacedby a new law in 2010. The charges were based on an opinion piece that da Cruzpublished in 2009. A court acquitted him on September 9, arguing the law hadbeen revoked.Right To Peaceful AssemblyDespite constitutional protection for freedom of assembly, since 2011 theauthorities have responded to peaceful anti-government protests organized byyouth groups and others in Luanda and elsewhere with excessive force, arbitraryarrests, unfair trials, harassment, and intimidation of participants, journalists,and observers. The state-owned media, controlled by the ruling party,present the protests as a threat to peace. Protest organizers and participantswere also targeted by surveillance and harassment and occasionally by violentattacks and abduction by security agents in 2013.On December 22 in 2012, and March 30, May 27, and September 19 in 2013,police used excessive force to disperse peaceful youth protests in Luanda, arbitrarilydetaining protesters and in several cases threatening journalists. Mostprotesters were released the same day without charges. However, 22-year-oldEmiliano Catumbela, who was arrested on May 27, was charged with bodilyharm, and later charged with attempted assassination of a police commander.He was denied access to his lawyers for several days and said he was beatenand tortured in custody. On June 25, he was released without charges.On September 12, police arrested 17-year-old Manuel Chivonde Nito Alves, ayouth activist and protest organizer, when he collected t-shirts produced for aprotest planned for September 19. He was charged with “outrage” against thepresident based on the t-shirt slogan which called President Dos Santos a “dis-79