Angola: Two journalists beaten by police

November 29, 2007
POSTED December 28, 2007

Alexandre Neto, Radio Despertar
Antonio Cascais, Deutche Welle Radio
HARASSED

Two journalists were detained and beaten by police in Angola’s capital city, Luanda, while reporting on forced evictions of residents from the Kilamba Kiaxi area of Luanda. Neto, the director of Radio Despertar, and Deutche Welle reporter Antonio Cascais were held and beaten at a local police station in Kilamba Kiaxi from 10 a.m. to 5 pm; Neto’s equipment was also confiscated.

The journalists were reporting on Kilamba Kiaxi’s residents’ protest of the forced evictions, which were carried out by a private company that has ties with military and government officials, local journalists reported. On November 29, the day after the incident, Radio Despertar initiated a court case against the police officers involved in the incident.