The following is based on a communication sent by the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders and other UN experts to the Government of Angola on 15 April 2024. The communication remained confidential for 60 days before being made public, giving the Government time to reply. The Government replied on 12 June 2024.
This is a shorter version of the original communication.
BACKGROUND
Topic: the alleged arbitrary house arrest and detention of Mr. Zola Ferreira Bambi
Mr. Zola Ferreira Bambi is a human rights defender and lawyer who has provided legal counsel and representation to other human rights defenders, as well as activists, protestors and journalists facing judicial harassment for their work and peaceful activities. He has also represented communities who have suffered human rights violations. He is the president of the Observatory of Social Cohesion and Justice in Angola.
ALLEGATIONS
Pattern of threats and attacks against Mr. Ferreira Bambi
Mr. Ferreira Bambi has been the object of threats, physical attacks and surveillance over the past ten years, reportedly in relation to his work as a human rights lawyer representing human rights defenders, activists, protesters and journalists. In 2013, Mr. Ferreira Bambi was reportedly assaulted and detained by a group of police officers, before receiving death threats from members of the Rapid Intervention Police. This incident was believed to be in relation to his work as the defence lawyer for a civil activist accused of defamation against the then-President of Angola.
In 2014, Mr. Ferreira Bambi was representing the family of a soba (traditional authority) in the province of Moxico who had been killed. He was reportedly followed when going to the trial and he and a colleague were threatened at the airport when travelling to Moxico for hearings in relation to this trial.
In 2015, Mr. Ferreira Bambi was a defence lawyer in a high-profile criminal case against a group of young human rights defenders. The young human rights defenders faced various charges, including forgery and criminal association, allegedly in relation to their peaceful promotion of democracy and good governance in Angola. During this trial, the mobile phones of Mr. Ferreira Bambi and his colleagues were reportedly hacked, they were subjected to surveillance outside the court by individuals that some identified as intelligence agents and on two occasions the tires on their vehicles were slashed.
In 2018, Mr. Ferreira Bambi denounced and called for a criminal investigation into the killing of a young man by police officers in Luanda. As a result of this, he was told by police officers not to get involved and “add fuel to the fire.” He also received numerous phone calls from unknown numbers, allegedly to intimidate and dissuade him from taking up this case, and his home and office were allegedly under surveillance at this time.
The threats and intimidation against Mr. Ferreira Bambi have reportedly been increasing in recent years. In 2022, the human rights defender received explicit death threats for his role leading an inquiry into the killing of hundreds of victims allegedly at the hands of security forces in the mining village of Cafunfo on 30 January 2021. Given the highly sensitive nature of this case, the threats and intimidation against Mr. Ferreira Bambi have been heightened since.
On 15 January 2023, Mr. Ferreira Bambi was away from his home to participate in a conference in South Africa. During his absence, his home was reportedly broken into, and documents and other devices related to his work were stolen. He lodged a criminal complaint to the National Police in Luanda under case no.157/23. While an investigation into this break-in is underway, no progress has reportedly been made.
House arrest and detention 5 January 2024
On the morning of 5 January 2024, Mr. Ferreira Bambi was due to appear in court to represent two defendants who had been detained the day before while organising a protest against the conviction of four activists in September 2023.
On the same day, 5 January 2024, five national police agents reportedly arrived at Mr. Ferreira Bambi’s home and placed him under house arrest without a warrant. They chained the gate to Mr. Ferreira Bambi’s residence with a padlock and detained him inside.
Later in the morning, the police officers allegedly forced Mr. Ferreira Bambi to accompany them to the police station in Vila Alice. The officers told Mr. Ferreira Bambi that they did not have a warrant to detain or arrest him, but that they were following orders to bring him to the police station, and threatened to bring him by force if he did not comply. A colleague of Mr. Ferreira Bambi, who was at his home when the police arrived, was also forcibly brought to the police station with no official justification, and they were accompanied by a third colleague.
Mr. Ferreira Bambi and his two colleagues were detained in the Vila Alice police station from approximately 10.30 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. Colleagues of the human rights defender, members of civil society and journalists reportedly went to the police station to ask about Mr. Ferreira Bambi’s whereabouts but were incorrectly informed that he was not there.
Mr. Ferreira Bambi’s house arrest and subsequent detention at the police station prevented him from fulfilling his role as the defence lawyer of the two defendants whose hearing was scheduled on the morning of 5 January 2024.
CONCERNS
In the communication, we express our serious concern at the recent arrest and detention of Mr. Ferreira Bambi, which appear to have directly interfered with his work as a human rights defender and lawyer. Our concern is further exacerbated by the fact that Mr. Ferreira Bambi’s recent detention was not an isolated incident, but rather seems to form part of an increasing pattern of systematic intimidation and interference with his ability to carry out his peaceful and legitimate human rights work.
