From: amnesty@amnesty.oil.ca
Date: Fri, 2 Jun 2000 06:59:48 -0400
Message-Id: <200006021059.GAA28283@amnesty.oil.ca>
To: amnesty-L@oil.ca
Subject: GUINEA-BISSAU: Human rights under threat
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* News Release Issued by the International Secretariat of Amnesty
International *
Amnesty International public document
AI Index AFR 30/003/2000
News Service Nr. 102
31 May 2000

Guinea-Bissau

Human rights under threat

Human rights defenders and journalists are being threatened and arrested
in a new wave of harassment in Guinea-Bissau, said Amnesty
International.

"These incidents -- together with the beatings of civilians by soldiers
-- reflect the fragile political situation following the civil war in
1998 and 1999. The new government's promise to protect and promote human
rights has not been kept."

In the latest incident, two state television journalists and a
politician, who is also a prominent human rights defender, were
arbitrarily arrested and held in harsh conditions. Paula Melo, the news
editor, and Issufe Queta, a news presenter, were arrested, reportedly on
the orders of Prime Minister Caetano N'tchama, at about 11:30 pm on 27
May. Fernando Gomes, president of a newly-formed political party, the
Socialist Alliance of Guinea (Bissau) and former president of the
Guinea-Bissau Human Rights League (HRL), was arrested the next morning.

Fernando Gomes had criticized the current political situation in the
country in a public statement on 25 May . The Prime Minister had
responded by accusing him of using the HRL funding to finance his
campaign as a candidate in the November 1999 presidential elections.
Fernando Gomes denied this and accused the Prime Minister of corruption,
making false statements and incompetence.

The three detainees were held in very hot, filthy, windowless and unlit
cells and were not allowed to receive visits from their lawyers or
relatives. They were finally released on bail on 29 May. Fernando Gomes
faces charges of slander and defamation and the journalists face related
charges.

Human rights activists and journalists have been the targets of the
arbitrary behaviour of the authorities and some have even been
threatened:

On 12 May, senior military officers reportedly said that they would have
Inácio Tavares, the current president of the Human Rights League, and
other League members beaten. The League had issued a press statement on
11 May expressing concern about several reports that soldiers had beaten
civilians. League members had been threatened on previous occasions.

On 17 May, after firing shots, soldiers entered the premises of the
newspaper Diário de Bissau, which had published an opinion piece
criticising the allegedly excessive spending by the wife of President
Kumba Ialá. In a threatening way, soldiers questioned journalist Bakary
Mané, who was alone in the office at the time. Diário de Bissau
journalists often receive threats on account of their work. The
newspaper's director, João de Barros, had received a death threat in
December 1999 following complaints by soldiers regarding his coverage of
the military.

On 27 May Esna Seidi, a journalist of the national radio, was suspended
-- without due process -- reportedly on the orders of the Secretary of
State for Social Communications after he had apologised to listeners for
the late start of the morning's broadcast due to the late arrival of the
vehicle collecting journalists. After a meeting on 30 May, at which the
Prime Minister addressed journalists, Esna Seidi, as well as Issufe
Queta and Paula Melo, who had also been suspended, were reinstated in
their posts.

"Brigadier Ansumane Mané, who ousted President João Bernardo Vieira in
May 1999, promised that soldiers would return to barracks. Instead,
soldiers frequently abuse their powers and carry out human rights
violations," said Amnesty International.

In a press statement the Guinea-Bissau Human Rights League gave details
of several incidents of military abuse in the capital, Bissau:
Alcebiades Teixeira was beaten by police on 28 April allegedly for
swearing in the presence of President Kumba Ialá's bodyguard; Domingos
Mendes was beaten on 8 May apparently for stationing his car incorrectly
when Brigadier Ansumane Mané's motorcade passed by; a group of soldiers
entered the electricity generating station and beat and briefly detained
three technicians whom they blamed for a power cut at the military base.
soldiers severely beat a youth who failed to greet them.

"The government must take urgent steps to end the beatings and arbitrary
arrests and it must bring to justice those suspected of perpetrating
such abuses of power," Amnesty International said . "All those in
authority must lead by example and set high standards for the protection
of human rights."

ENDS.../
Amnesty International, International Secretariat, 1 Easton Street,
WC1X 8DJ, London, United Kingdom
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