Action alerts

Angolan government attacks activist organization

AJPD

2008-09-25, Issue 398

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/action/50746

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Angolan authorities filed legal action to close down the Angolan non-profit AJPD – Association for Justice, Peace and Democracy. AJPD is one of the non-profits most committed to the development of culture of human right in the country. The State's lawsuit is based on unconstitutional arguments and invalid proceedings.

AJPD CANNOT BE SHUT DOWN!

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

1) Send a message to letajpdkeepworking@gmail.com showing your solidarity. The messages will be printed and delivered to Angolan authorities that do not have an email adress. Suggestion of writing: “Such an active civil society organization towards the practice of human rights in Angola cannot be closed down! Let AJPD keep doing its work!

2) Contact the diplomats of your country in Angola and ask them to express to the Angolan government their solidarity to AJPD. This kind of support has borught great success in the past. Suggestion of writing: “Dear Mr./Mrs., the Angolan government is threatening to close by judicial means AJPD – Association for Justice, Peace and Democracy-, one of the most active human rights non-profits in Angola. I ask you to please express your solidarity of our country to the NGO, once the lawsuit contains unvalid proceedings and unconstitutional arguments. AJPD has shown for several times its commitment to democracy and fundamental rights.”

Here at the link below, please find more information on the case.

BACKGROUND:

On September 4th 2008, AJPD was cited by the Constitutional Court on a legal action for DISSOLUTION OF THE ASSOCIATION brought by the ATTORNEY GENERAL. AJPD found out that the former Attorney General, Mr. Augusto Carneiro, petitioned legal action for the dissolution of AJPD on July 15th, 2003. The case was sent to the Judge of the Supreme Court Neto de Miranda, still on July 31st, 2003. Once the Constitutional Court was created on July 2008, the case moved to that Court.

AJPD kept intense and permanent touch with the Ministry of Justice and the Attorney General by mail and hearings with members of these institutions. AJPD understands this is a political case.

Next, there are some articles of AJPD statute that the Attorney General claims are illegal and ungrounded by not complying with the Constitutional Law and the Law of Associations:

- Articles 6, b , 6,c,2 and 6,c,3:

b) Pacific reaction against the arbitrariness of authorities and the discretion of power, undertaking, firmly, the defense of the respect of the laws;

c) Public dennoucing of the most scandalous cases when it comes to human rights violations and active intervention towards their solution;

2) To issue report on every case regarding disrespect to the duty to obey the law;

3) To cooperate in the observation of the accordance with the constitution of legal and administrative decisions;

- Article 11, 3: Applications for admittance of new members shall come along with the curriculum vitae of the applicant or, in case it is a corporation, with the document assuring its curriculum was recorded at the competent registry and the copy of its statute whenever it is possible, and a signed declaration of the party showing its acceptance.

- Article 28, 2: When it comes to a partner that is a corporation/association, its vote shall come along with the record of the meeting of the board of directors in which it was decided that the vote shall be by mail. On the other hand, the articles of the Law of Associations that the Attorney General claims seem to be unconstitutional for restraining the liberty of association.

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