Angola persists in refusing to release Carlos Manuel de São Vicente, in a poor health condition, after 4 years of arbitrary detention
Geneva, October 7, 2024
On 22 September 2024, Mr. Carlos de São Vicente began his fifth year in detention in Angola, in violation of both international law and Angolan law. For the last four years, he has been illegally detained in a derogatory procedure, and became increasingly more ill.
Under international law, the detention of Mr. Carlos de São Vicente is arbitrary, as assessed by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary detention (UNWGAD) in an Opinion dated November 14th, 2023, which urged Angola to release him immediately. Since then, ‘no action has been taken by the Government to implement the opinion’[1], as pointed by the 2024 Annual Report of the UNWGAD, while, in accordance with Article 13 of the Angolan Constitution, the Opinion is directly applicable in Angola.
Under Angolan law, after having been convicted, without evidence, to a 10-year imprisonment sentence by a Luanda District Court illegal judgement dated 24 March 2022, Mr. Carlos de São Vicente should have been granted conditional release on 26 June 2024. However, 3 months later, the Angolan Ministry of Interior Eugénio Laborinho is still actively refusing to let the release procedure go forward, without providing any justification for it.
Beyond these compelling legal considerations, Mr. Carlos de São Vicente is a 64 year old man who has developed 4 new diseases in detention, in addition to the 3 with which he was already afflicted when he was taken into Viana Prison. Despite his poor health condition, his repeated requests for medical treatment have been blatantly ignored or delayed. His prolonged detention has become deeply concerning, exposing him to severe consequences as to his life and in any event, to inhumane and degrading treatments, as to a violation of his right to dignity and to liberty.
All in all, whether for legal motives or humanitarian motives, it is more than time to release Mr. Sao Vicente immediately.
As well as being a shocking violation of Mr. Sao Vicente’s human rights, that benefits no one, his prolonged and unjustified detention is also a very bad signal for anyone wishing to invest in Angola, and take part in the country’s economic life, like Mr. Sao Vicente sought to do.
Media Contacts:
contact@carlosdesaovicente.com
[1] A/HRC/57/44 : Détention arbitraire – Rapport du Groupe de travail sur la détention arbitraire | OHCHR