Case History: Mariano Brás

On 8 June 2015, the National Direction for the Investigation and Penal Action (in portuguese, DNIAP) began an investigation into human rights defender Mr Mariano Brás and his journalistic colleagues, based on unsubstantiated allegations of abuse of press freedom, defamation, and insult of public authorities. The investigation was reportedly triggered by a complaint filed by the Army Chief, the Ministry of Interior and the General Military Public Prosecutor of the Angolan Armed Forces (in portuguese, FAA).

In the course of his interrogation, Mariano Brás was reportedly asked to reveal the newspaper's sources and details on its funders. All employees of the newspaper, including cleaners, secretaries and reporters, have also been interrogated by the National Direction for the Investigation and Penal Action, and have reported being questioned on whether opposition political parties and international groups are funding the newspaper. Mariano Brás has asserted that the newspaper maintains high standards of editorial independence and there is no evidence that it may have accepted any funding from political parties in Angola.

The accusations against Mariano Brás and his fellow journalists followed an article in the first edition of the newspaper, published in October 2014, which denounced the alleged involvement of high-level members of the national police and the Angolan Armed Forces in drugs trafficking. There are strong presumptions that the ongoing investigation is an act of retaliation resulting from the article's publication. In particular, the article claimed that, on the one hand, some officials allegedly receive payments by drug traffickers in exchange for ensuring their protection, and alerting them in advance when they may be targeted by an operation. On the other hand, the article denounced the participation of members of the Armed Forces in the entry of drugs into Angolan territory via airports and harbours from countries such as Brazil, where their luggage is not inspected. The article also included photos of the officers responsible for the organs of state in question. It is these officers who have now filed a complaint against the members of the newspaper.

Mariano Brás was also targeted immediately following publication of the article, in October 2014. On the day before the release of the newspaper's first edition, the journalist received a call inviting him to a meeting with the Secretary of State for Social Communication, who informed him that, following orders from above, he could not publish the newspaper as the country was not ready for a newspaper of this kind. However, the newspaper was already legally recognised, and so its members went with its publication. Soon after, Mariano Brás began to receive a series of anonymous threatening phone calls, and to be followed by suspected members of the state security.