Carlos Manuel de São Vicente’s lawyers, denounce a travesty of justice in Angola

François Zimeray and Jessica Finelle, lawyers of Carlos Manuel de São Vicente, denounce a travesty of justice in Angola

Geneva, 17 March 2021 – “It is through the press that we have learned that Mr. São Vicente has been brought before the District Court of Luanda for the opening of the judicial phase of his trial on Wednesday 10 March 2021. Mr. São Vicente does not have access to the file and once again the rights of the defense are violated in an unacceptable way. 

As a victim of a political trial, our client’s presumption of innocence is being violated day after day. He does not claim to be above the law, but the Angolan prosecution denies him an effective defense which is essential for a fair trial. We strongly denounce this travesty of justice that masks an attempt to despoil Mr. São Vicente’s assets, in a context of social chaos“, lawyers François Zimeray and Jessica Finelle denounce. 

On Wednesday, 10 March 2021, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention was seized of a complaint for arbitrary detention of the Angolan businessman Carlos Manuel de São Vicente, detained in Luanda since 22 September 2020. The lawyers François Zimeray and Jessica Finelle denounced multiple violations of the rules of fair trial and conditions of detention “contrary to any idea of justice and dignity”. Willing to unveil the inadmissible and illegal practices of the Angolan judiciary system and concerned about the health condition of Mr. São Vicente, the lawyers asked the Working Group to address an urgent appeal to Angola to proceed with his immediate release.