PEN SA Calls for the Release of the 17 Luanda Bookclub Members

PEN South Africa has written to Angolan President José Eduardo dos Santos and South African President Jacob Zuma urging them to ensure the release of the 17 Angolan activists, known as the Luanda Book Club, who were sentenced to between 2-8 years in prison and fined 50,000 kwanza (around 300 USD) for ‘preparatory acts of rebellion’ and ‘criminal conspiracy’ on Monday 28 March 2016. The letters were signed by the International Press Institute and Arterial Network.

Read more about the case here and read the two letters below:

Dear President Jose Eduardo dos Santos

PEN South Africa wishes to inform you that we protest strongly and condemn the manner in which 17 activists in your country, known as the Luanda Book Club, were sentenced to between two to eight years in prison and fined 50,000 kwanza (around 300 USD) on 28 March 2016, for ‘preparatory acts of rebellion’ and ‘criminal conspiracy’ following the prosecution dropping on 21 March 2016 a further earlier charge of ‘attempting against the president’s life’.

PEN International has issued a comprehensive statement outlining details of the trial and the background events that led up to it which we append. Following is a summary of the issues involved. We are concerned about reports from press and human rights organisations that there have been fair trial irregularities as well as reports that allegations of torture or other ill-treatment were not investigated in relation to two of the activists.

We believe that there has been a serious miscarriage of justice which you as a leader in Africa will agree cannot be allowed to stand and that Angola should take the steps we propose in the attached statement immediately to avoid the world-wide condemnation that is steadily building up against your country over this travesty of legal proceedings. Our reading of the evidence is that the Book Club was discussing peaceful means of protest which you will agree is legitimate conduct in your country.

Most of the activists were arrested after they had gathered at a book store in the capital Luanda on 20 June 2015, to read and discuss Domingos da Cruz’s unpublished manuscript Tools to Destroy a Dictatorship and Avoiding a New Dictatorship – Political Philosophy for the Liberation of Angola, an adaptation of US academic Gene Sharp’s book From Dictatorship to Democracy: A Conceptual Framework for Liberation. Sharp’s book is described as a blueprint for non-violent resistance to repressive regimes, the meeting to discuss the book was considered by the authorities to be a preliminary act to a coup.

The 17 activists include writer, journalist and university lecturer Domingos da Cruz, author of the manuscript they were reading at the book club; journalist and law student Sedrick de Caravlho, the book’s designer; university lecturer Nuno Alvaro Dala, one of the lecturers of the seminars/discussions. Also arrested were rappers Luaty Beirão, Hitler Jessy Chiconde (also a university student) and teacher José Hata. Both the prosecution and defence lawyers have said they will appeal the verdict and sentences.

Margie Orford
President
PEN South Africa

Mandla Langa
Executive Vice-President
PEN South Africa

Raymond Louw
Vice President
PEN South Africa

Signatories:
Arterial Network
International Press Institute

Dear President Zuma

PEN South Africa wishes to draw your attention to a strong condemnatory protest that we have sent to the President of Angola, President Jose Eduardo dos Santos, following the news that 17 Angolan activists, known as the Luanda Book Club, were sentenced to between two to eight years in prison and fined 50,000 kwanza (around 300 USD) on 28 March 2016, for ‘preparatory acts of rebellion’ and ‘criminal conspiracy’ following the prosecution dropping on 21 March 2016 a further earlier charge of ‘attempting against the president’s life’.

PEN International has issued a comprehensive statement outlining details of the trial and the background events that led up to it which we append. Following is a summary of the issues involved. We are concerned about reports from press and human rights organisations that there have been fair trial irregularities as well as reports that allegations of torture or other ill-treatment were not investigated in relation to two of the activists. We are writing to you to intervene with your counterpart in Angola by requesting that he does all within his power to ensure the release of the imprisoned activists and overturns the convictions.

We believe that you will agree with us that Southern Africa cannot countenance the imprisonment of people for discussing peaceful means of protest following a trial which according to the reports did not meet international standards for fair trial.

Most of the activists were arrested after they had gathered at a book store in the capital Luanda on 20 June 2015, to read and discuss Domingos da Cruz’s unpublished manuscript Tools to Destroy a Dictatorship and Avoiding a New Dictatorship – Political Philosophy for the Liberation of Angola, an adaptation of US academic Gene Sharp’s book From Dictatorship to Democracy: A Conceptual Framework for Liberation. Sharp’s book is described as a blueprint for non-violent resistance to repressive regimes, the meeting to discuss the book was considered by the authorities to be a preliminary act to a coup.

The 17 activists include writer, journalist and university lecturer Domingos da Cruz, author of the manuscript they were reading at the book club; journalist and law student Sedrick de Caravlho, the book’s designer; university lecturer Nuno Alvaro Dala, one of the lecturers of the seminars/discussions. Also arrested were rappers Luaty Beirão, Hitler Jessy Chiconde (also a university student) and teacher José Hata. Both the prosecution and defence lawyers have said they will appeal the verdict and sentences.

Angola is a state party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and its actions in this case do not reflect that Covenant, Article 19 of which guarantees the right to freedom of expression. We draw your attention to this gross violation by the Angolan authorities and call to mind the phrase ‘an injury to one is an injury to all’ in the hopes that you will act to help ensure the immediate release of these writers and activists and encourage the Angolan authorities to quash the convictions made against them.

Margie Orford
President
PEN South Africa

Mandla Langa
Executive Vice-President
PEN South Africa

Raymond Louw
Vice President
PEN South Africa

Signatories:
Arterial Network
International Press Institute