URGENT ACTION

DETAINED JOURNALIST DENIED FAMILY VISITS

Journalist Amade Abubacar was transferred from the Macomia district prison to Mieze prison in Pemba district, the capital of Cabo Delgado province on 24 January. Since then prison authorities have denied him family visits. He was allowed one supervised visit with members of a Commission of the Mozambican Bar Association and his lawyer on 25 January where he alleged that he had been subjected to ill-treatment while in military detention. 

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Joaquim Veríssimo
Honourable Minister of Justice, Constitutional and Religious Affairs
Av. Julius Nyerere 33
Maputo, Mozambique
Email: mjcr@mjcr.gov.mz and vilanchic@yahoo.com.br 

Dear Minister Joaquim Veríssimo,

I would like to bring to your attention the case of Amade Abubacar, a local journalist with Nacedje community radio based in Macomia district, Cabo Delgado province, northern Mozambique. On 24 January, Amade was transferred from the Macomia district prison to Mieze prison in Pemba district, the capital of Cabo Delgado province. Since his arrival at this prison, the prison authorities have denied him family visits. Restrictions to Amade’s right of access to family amount to inhumane treatment.

On 25 January, a Commission of representatives of the Mozambican Bar Association alongside Amade’s lawyer were allowed a supervised visit with him at Mieze prison. The director of the prison stayed at the room during the meeting. Amade told the Commission that he had been subjected to ill-treatment by the military after his arrest on 5 January. He said that the military officers shook him several times and forced him to sleep handcuffed. He also confirmed being deprived of food for a few days. During the meeting, he complained of a headache, fever and pain in his body. Prior to his arrest, Amade had no health issues, but his health has been deteriorating in detention.

Amade Abubacar is in detention being investigated on the crimes of “public incitement using electronic media” and “violation of State secrecy” under articles 322 and 323 of Mozambique’s Penal Code. He was arrested while interviewing internally displaced people in Macomia District.

Amnesty International is very concerned with the treatment Amade Abubacar has been receiving in police custody. 

We urge you to:
•	Ensure that the Mozambican authorities immediately and unconditionally release Amade Abubacar;
•	Ensure that, pending his release, Amade Abubacar is protected from torture and other ill-treatment and that his conditions of detention are in line with international standards, including access to water, food and access to a proper health care;
•	Ensure that he is given prompt access to his family and is allowed regular visits by his family and lawyers;
•	Ensure that the right to freedom of expression and media freedom are fully respected and that journalists are able to carry out their work without fear of attacks, intimidation, harassment or censorship.

Yours sincerely,

Additional information

Amade Abubacar is a 31-year-old community radio journalist was arbitrary arrested on 5 January 2019 by police officers in Macomia district while he was interviewing internally displaced civilians who fled their homes due to the intensification of violent attacks by people believed to be members of an extremist group known as “Al-Shabab” in the Northern Cabo Delgado. Without an arrest warrant, the police officers handcuffed him, confiscated his cell phone and took him to Macomia Police station. On the same day, Amade Abubacar was transferred from Macomia District Command of the Police of the Republic of Mozambique (PRM) to the military detention in Mueda, where he was held incommunicado for 12 days without being brought before court. 

On 18 January, Macomia’s District Judicial Court ordered his continued pre-trial detention at the Macomia District Police Command. 

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PLEASE TAKE ACTION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE UNTIL: 19 03 2019
Please check with the Amnesty office in your country if you wish to send appeals after the deadline.

NAME AND PREFFERED PRONOUN: Amade Abubacar (he/his)

LINK TO PREVIOUS UA: https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/afr41/9735/2019/en/

Additional information

Copies to:

President of the National Human Rights Commission 
Luis Bitone 
Email: lbitnahe@gmail.com 

Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country. HIS EXCELLENCY MR FILIPE CHIDUMO, High Commission for the Republic of Mozambique, 21 Fitzroy Square, London, W1T 6EL tel: 020 7383 3800 Fax 020 7383 3801 email: sectorconsular@mozambiquehc.co.uk  www.mozambiquehighcommission.org.uk,  Salutation: Your Excellency Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date.