Maputo, 7 Jul (AIM) – The international human rights body Amnesty International (AI) calls on Mozambique’s Attorney-General, Américo Letela, to ensure the immediate return of work tools belonging to Estácio Valoi, an investigative journalist based in the northern province of Cabo Delgado.
The journalist, who works for the portal “MOZ24h”, had his electronic equipment (including mobile phones, computers and tablets) seized last June, following a warrant issued by Pemba City Judicial Court.
The warrant, which went viral on social media, dated May 25th, did not mention the reasons for the seizure. However, the journalist confirmed to have received the document from members of the country’s Criminal Investigation Service (Sernic), who also told him “to delete an article about an investigation into timber smuggling carried out in 2025.”
According to AI letter addressed to the country’s Attorney-General, any access to and examination of personal electronic devices requires prior, separate judicial authorization based on clearly identified facts and recognized criminal offenses, while ensuring full protection of the confidentiality of journalistic sources and material.
According to the organization, the seizure of tools has been preventing Valoi from continuing his work and jeopardizes the legitimate anonymity of his sources. “Mozambican authorities must immediately return Valoi’s personal equipment, because the continued retention of the material is illegal, unnecessary, and inappropriate”, reads the letter.
The AI views with concern Valoi’s allegation that one of the devices appears to have been used to access his email account without the account holder’s authorization. “The authorities have not publicly commented on these allegations, and the continued retention of the work equipment raises concerns about the use of criminal proceedings to interfere with legitimate investigative journalism on matters of public interest.”
The organization highlighted that disappearances and arbitrary detentions of journalists reporting on the conflict in Cabo Delgado are recurrent, recalling that in 2018 Valoi was arbitrarily detained by Mozambican Forces while working on stories regarding extremist violence in the province.
According to the letter, Mozambique as a member state of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights must “protect the right to freedom of expression, and any restriction must be prescribed by law. International human rights standards also recognize the protection of the confidentiality of journalists’ sources as a guarantee of press freedom.”
The country’s Network of Human Rights Defenders (RMDDH) has condemned the seizure of working tools belonging to the journalist, claiming that “it is legitimate to question the Court’s decision because it impacts journalistic activity in the country, given that Valoi investigated an alleged attempt to export 111 containers of timber through the Port of Beira, in central Mozambique.”
Am/
