Urgent Action - Angola: Activist Shot and Held Incommunicado

On 28 July, activist Serrote José de Oliveira, 33, was shot in the leg by unidentified armed men while livestreaming at the first day of a strike in Luanda, Angola. After a brief hospital visit, he was forcibly taken by police to the Talatona Municipal Command Station and has not been seen or heard from since. Amnesty International is concerned that Serrote José de Oliveira has been arbitrarily detained, denied access to adequate medical care, and is being held incommunicado. Amnesty International calls on the Angolan authorities to immediately disclose Serrote José de Oliveira’s whereabouts, ensure he has access to all necessary medical care, his family and a lawyer, and unless charged with a recognisable offence, immediately release him.

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Dear Minister of Justice, I am writing to express deep concern about serious human rights violations having been and continuing to be committed against 33-year-old Serrote José de Oliveira, also known as General Nila. On 28 July, Serrote José de Oliveira, an activist and leader of UNTRA Movement- (Unidade Nacional para Total Revolução de Angola) - was filming a live video with fellow activists during the first day of a protest against rising fuel prices in Luanda, Angola’s capital. A group of unidentified armed men approached and began shooting at the group. Serrote José de Oliveira was shot in the left leg. Witnesses believe the armed men were agents of the Criminal Investigation Service. These same armed men were then seen transporting Serrote José de Oliveira to the Gameque village hospital. There, the activist managed to briefly contact members of his group, informing them he was receiving treatment. When his relatives arrived, they noted that the gunshot wound on his leg had been dressed. They however expected him to undergo further medical treatment. Minutes later, a National Police vehicle arrived and an officer ordered that Serrote José de Oliveira be transferred to another location. Contrary to what has been officially communicated by the authorities, Serrote José de Oliveira was not taken to a general hospital but was instead transferred to the Talatona Municipal Command Station, where he was interrogated by several police officers. He last communicated with his family while at the Station on 28 July. Since then, his family and lawyer have had no further contact with him. They do not know his whereabouts, his health status or the legal basis for his continued detention. The shooting of Serrote José de Oliveira, simply for livestreaming on social media, his arbitrary arrest and subsequent lack of adequate medical care for his injuries, followed by his current incommunicado detention are all extremely serious and deeply concerning. These actions violate Angola’s national laws and its obligations under regional and international human rights law and standards. I urge you to use all powers at your disposal to immediately order the disclosure of the fate and whereabouts of Serrote José de Oliveira and to order his immediate release, unless he is charged with an internationally recognisable offence, in which case due process must be ensured. Pending his release, he must be granted full access to urgent medical care, as well as to his family and legal counsel.
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Urgent Action – Angola: Activist Shot and Held Incommunicado

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