Civil society sues police for human rights violations

Maputo, 4 Mar (AIM) – The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), a prominent Mozambican NGO, has sued the Mozambican police force (PRM), in the northern province of Nampula, for violating human rights during the municipal elections, held on 11 October last year.

The CDD statement accuses the PRM of committing 17 crimes, of which four are homicides (all of them by shooting) and 13 are offences involving aggravated bodily harm.

According to the organization, the Police “murdered four citizens in Nampula, namely, Faizal João, Edrisse Alifo Ussene, Sabonete Saíde and Atibo Juma.”

It added that the PRM assaulted at least 13 people, all of whom the CDD has named.

The CDD claims to have gathered all the evidence proving the existence of victims of the PRM’s actions in Nampula province.

“Furthermore, given the power of the Attorney-General’s Office (PGR) to carry out investigations on its own initiative, the CDD believes that other types of offences could be charged alongside those listed in the complaint”, reads the document.

The note explains that the complaint submitted to the Nampula Provincial Attorney’s Office aims to oblige the state, through the bodies of the administration of justice, to hold accountable all the police agents who were involved in committing those crimes.

“The CDD is certain that, through the complaints made, if the Public Prosecutor’s Office dedicates itself to investigations, it will perhaps be able, in addition to the agents directly involved in committing criminal acts, to uncover the existence of others and uncover the faces behind the so-called ‘higher orders’”, the note says.

The organization claims to be willing to cooperate with the PGR in order to bring to justice the officials who “use the uniform and weapons of the state to oppress the Mozambican people, particularly at election times.”

(AIM)

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