Defamation charges have been dropped against a journalist who accused seven Angolan army generals of being complicit in human rights abuses. The
ADVERTISEMENTDefamation charges have been dropped against a journalist who accused seven Angolan army generals of being complicit in human rights abuses.
The generals denied the allegations and brought defamation charges against Rafael Marques in Portugal, where he detailed the allegations in the book “Blood Diamonds: Corruption and Torture in Angola.” The case against Marques was dismissed because of a lack of evidence. They are now accusing him of libel in Angola.
Angola: Dropping of charges against journalist a victory for freedom of expression https://t.co/KSIqzAPifF … pic.twitter.com/BLeeiG9nqF
— AmnestySouthernAfric (@AmnestySARO) May 22, 2015
“This is a politically charged case that has very little to do with the law,” Marques told Reuters this week.
“There is only one outcome that would serve justice and that is to send me home in peace,” added Marques, who has won international awards for his human rights activism.
Marques has spent nearly three years defending his right to tell the story of the Angola diamond fields.
Before the charges against him were dropped he had been facing a huge fine and ten years in prison.