Pascoal Baptistiny
Pascoal Baptistiny is the Executive director of the NGO MBAKITA - Missão de Beneficência Agropecuária do Kubango Inclusão Tecnologias e Ambiente (Mission of Beneficence Agriculture of Kubango Inclusive Technologies and Environment), in the province of Cuando Cubango, in southern Angola. The human rights defender promotes the rights of indigenous peoples and traditional communities, denouncing the discriminations they suffer and the expropriation of their lands, while advocating for better social integration and the respect of the rights for food, land and citizenship.
Human rights defenders (HRDs) in Angola are subjected to arrests, judicial harassment, physical attacks, threats and defamation campaigns. Freedoms of peaceful assembly and expression are limited. HRDs working on civil and political rights and journalists criticizing the government are especially at risk.
