Amnesty International delivers thousands of signatures at the Angolan embassy for the release of activist

Amnesty International delivered today, at the Angolan embassy in Lisbon, around 2.200 signatures calling for the release of the Angolan activist Gilson Moreira ‘Tanaice Neutro’, arrested in Luanda, despite the court has ordered his release.

In a press release, to which Lusa news agency had access, the non-governmental organization (NGO) for the defense of human rights highlights that the petition for the freedom of ‘Tanaice Neutro’, “Angolan musician and activist who uses his art to express his opinion on social issues such as poverty, inequality, corruption, and bad governance” will extend to other countries.

“Copies of the signatures will also be delivered to Angola’s embassies in Madrid and Pretoria, South Africa, as well as to the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights in Angola,” the Amnesty note said.

According to the NGO, ‘Tanaice Neutro’ was arrested in January 2022.

In October, the court sentenced him to a year and three months suspended sentence and ordered his immediate release due to his state of health – which has not happened so far, seven months later.

“With his health worsening, on May 16, his lawyer filed a request for ‘habeas corpus’ which, so far, has not been answered, and whose deadline for this expired last Monday per Number 5 of Article 292 of the Angolan Code of Criminal Procedure,” reads the document.

The signatures were collected over the past week, “including an action integrated with the Coldplay concerts, which took place in Coimbra on 17, 18, 20, and 21 May.”

“In addition to these actions, Amnesty International will continue to work on a campaign for the release of ‘Tanaice Neutro’, but also for the freedom of expression and peaceful demonstration in Angola,” says the note.

The organization considers that ‘Tanaice Neutro’ “is another young Angolan activist paying too high a price for exercising his freedom of expression.”

“Angolan authorities have strongly reprimanded any dissident voice, not understanding the importance of civil society and the work of human rights defenders in promoting a more just and equal society,” the statement highlights.

“We will not stop until ‘Tanaice Neutro’ is free because it is not only her freedom at stake,” warns Amnesty International.

It reminded that they work “for people’s freedom, both in Angola and around the world,” said Paulo Fontes, Amnesty International Portugal’s campaign director, quoted in the statement.

The document stresses that in the last three years, Angola had “a marked increase in repressive measures against those exercising their rights to freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly.”

“Among the most severe forms of repression used by the authorities are arbitrary detentions and extrajudicial executions,” the human rights organization indicates.

“The Angolan authorities have shown a frightening determination about silencing dissent and unduly limiting the population’s rights to freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly.”

“Some activists and protesters have been put behind bars, and others have ended up being killed just for peacefully exercising their right to demonstrate,” said Vongai Chikwanda, Amnesty International’s acting deputy director for Southern Africa.

‘Tanaice Neutro’ “is one of these activists arrested for making music an instrument of freedom of expression#, notes Amnesty International.

The Angolan activist was arrested on January 13, 2022, “because of a video he reportedly published in which he called the President [of the Republic] a “clown” and the Angolan authorities “ignorant.”

“He remains in prison, despite the deterioration of his health condition and the urgent need for surgery. However, the authorities have denied him adequate medical treatment, which may constitute torture or other ill-treatment,” argues the NGO.

With information from Lusa

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