“The majority of the arrests were illegal, because there was no trial, and those that did did not prove the facts that the detainees were accused of,” explained the president of the Bar Association.
The president of the Mozambique Bar Association (OAM) revealed this Wednesday that the contribution of the institution’s professionals allowed the release of 2,700 people detained throughout the country in the context of the post-election demonstrations.
“There were 2,700 detainees who are currently free, thanks to the selfless work of the lawyers who are members of the OAM, many times in danger of death,” said Carlos Martins, during a press conference in Maputo, in which he called on the President of the Republic asked to start a “genuine dialogue” to avoid a “bloodbath” on Thursday, the day of a national demonstration in Maputo called by presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane.
Mozambique. Reports of police dispersing protesters with gunshots on a new day of protests
“The majority were actually arrests that we call illegal.because they had no case and those who did have a case, the prosecution did not prove the facts of which they were accused (…). What the court said, in many cases, is not that they did not ultimately participate in that violence, what it said is that there was no evidence and in the absence of evidence they should effectively be released,” said the president.
He added that “others were detained without participating in demonstrations”, fair “because they were actually on public roads” at the moment.
“We are also following the issue of citizens who have been raped, who are in hospitals.to check this. We noticed that the majority of citizens who ended up losing their lives (…) almost all of the injuries were to the upper part of the body. The neck, abdomen, head. And this leads us to another type of exercise and analysis. Because if it’s about persuading, naturally the shots should go to the lower limbs or into the air. That is the meaning of a more prepared and more prudent police,” said Carlos Martins.
He highlighted that the Demonstration is a constitutional right, but acts of “violence” by some protesters have also been detected in recent days.s: “We could not leave unpunished some situations of vandalism, some situations that border on crime, which are being carried out by some protesters. It is also the task of the protesters, it is also the objective of the protesters, to protect the assets of society, both private assets and public assets. Demonstrations should not be limited or prohibited, but at the same time we call on protesters to come to their senses, that there is nothing that justifies violence, riots and the murder of our citizens. “We will not respond to violence with violence.”
The president of the Mozambique Medical Association (AMM), Napoleão Viola, stated on Tuesday that at least 108 people were shot and 16 died in the post-election violence of recent days, admitting that health services are collapsing under “pressure” from seek help.
The Minister of National Defense of Mozambique admitted this Tuesday “excesses” by the security forces to contain the demonstrations, but warned that the corporation reacts “to the extent” of the acts carried out by the protesters.
The announcement by the National Electoral Commission (CNE) of Mozambique on October 24, in which it attributed the victory to Daniel Chapo, supported by the Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (Frelimo, a party in power since 1975) in the elections to President of the Republic, with 70.67% of the votes, provoked popular protests, according to the call of Venâncio Mondlane.
According to the CNE, Venâncio Mondlane came in second place, with 20.32%, but stated that he does not recognize these results, which have yet to be validated and proclaimed by the Constitutional Council.
After the street protests on the 21st, 24th and 25th, which paralyzed the country, the candidate Venâncio Mondlane once again called on the population to a seven-day general strike, starting on October 31, with street protests throughout the country that have degenerated into violence and intervention. of the police, and a demonstration concentrated in Maputo this Thursday.
Source: Observadora
