Mozambique: Police Human Rights Violations Caused Death of 24

Maputo — At least 24 people lost their lives, over the last year, as a result of human rights violations by the Mozambican Police, according to a prominent NGO, the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD).

According to a CDD report on human rights, “2023 was characterized by a worsening of the deterioration of human rights in Mozambique. Among the most frequent violations, 37 people were injured and around 170 arbitrarily detained’.

The statement points out that the violations were recorded during the Municipal Elections last October “and it made the country’s chaotic level of human rights observation more evident.’

According to the CDD report, abuse of authority has been flourishing, resulting in deaths and serious offences against the physical integrity of the victims.

“The Mozambican state has failed to guarantee effective access to justice for victims of human rights violations and abuses’, says the document.

In the same report, the CDD called on the authorities to clarify the assassination of João Chamusse, a journalist who had been highly critical of the Mozambican government, and was one of many journalists who denounced the fraud that characterized the municipal elections.

The organization also called on the authorities to act against those who murdered the teacher Tevino Benedito, in Zambézia province, after he had denounced in social media a scheme to extort money from teachers.

“The bodies of the administration of justice have proved incapable of carrying out investigations into acts that constitute violations of human rights. These cases need to be clarified, but the courts do not respond to requests promptly, adequately and effectively’, reads the report.