Maputo, 15 Mar (AIM) – Mozambican police officers assaulted two journalists from the independent television station Tua Televisao (TTV) last Tuesday, and deleted the material they had been filming.
According to a statement from the Mozambican chapter of the regional press freedom body MISA (Media Institute of Southern Africa) the two reporters, Hanil Manuel and Custodio Matimbe, had been alerted to a demonstration in the Maputo neighbourhood of Magoanine where a woman was attempting to have one of her employees arrested, on the grounds that he had stolen a television set.
A crowd gathered outside her house, insisting that the young man is of good character and should be released.
As the two reporters were interviewing members of the crowd, a police car drew up and told them to stop filming, threatening to arrest them if they disobeyed.
The incident was happening on the public highway in front of the woman’s house, and journalists need no authorization to film in a public place.
The policemen prevented Hanil Manuel from continuing to film, and told him that filming police vehicles or police officers on duty is a crime.
It is not, and Manuel tried to explain that the behavior of the TTV crew was entirely legal under the Mozambican press law. Furthermore, it was impossible to film the demonstration without filming the police, who were in the middle of the crowd.
But instead of listening to Manuel, the police accused him of disobedience and handcuffed him. They forced him to enter the police vehicle where they deleted his film.
The police also threatened to arrest Matimbe, but backed down when the angry crowd rallied to the defence of the journalists. Minutes later, the police also released Manuel.
MISA condemned the attack on the TTV crew, pointing out that “covering events of public interest, taking place in public spaces, is one of the elementary rights that journalists enjoy, under the Mozambican Constitution and the Press Law.” They need no police authorization to exercise this right.
“By threatening and even handcuffing reporters, the police are showing their contempt for the Constitution and the law which they have sworn to defend”, protested MISA, noting that police agents “are still among the main violators of press freedom in Mozambique”.
MISA demanded that the authorities take measures to hold the policemen who assaulted the TTV crew responsible for their actions.
“When agents of the State, and particularly agents of law and order, attack citizens and disrespect the law, it is up to their superiors to distance themselves unequivocally from these acts, and to take measures against the offenders”, MISA urged. This would restore confidence in the police and in the State.
(AIM)
Pf/ (451)
