Guinea-Bissau: Fear for safety/ Intimidation
Luís Vaz Martins, lawyer and president of the Human Rights League of Guinea-Bissau has received threats from an armed individual after publicly condemning the arrest and torture of prominent lawyer Pedro Infanda and the beating of former Prime Minister and current Court President Francisco José Fadul. As a result he and other members of the Human Rights League are concerned for their personal safety and have taken precautions such as altering their normal activities.
PUBLIC AI Index: AFR 30/002/2009
02 April 2009
UA 92/09 Fear for safety/ Intimidation
GUINEA-BISSAU Luís Vaz Martins (m), Lawyer and Human Rights Defender
Other members of the Human Rights League
Luís Vaz Martins, lawyer and president of the Human Rights League of Guinea-Bissau has received threats
from an armed individual after publicly condemning the arrest and torture of prominent lawyer Pedro Infanda
and the beating of former Prime Minister and current Court President Francisco José Fadul. As a result he and
other members of the Human Rights League are concerned for their personal safety and have taken
precautions such as altering their normal activities.
On the afternoon of 1 April, an armed man in civilian clothing went to the offices of the Human Rights League
searching for Luís Vaz, who was not there at the time. The man reportedly asked for Luís Vaz’s residential
address and stated that he wanted to kill him because the Human Rights League was ‘too talkative’.
This incident follows the arrest and torture of Pedro Infanda and the beating of Francisco José Fadul by
military officials. Francisco José Fadul held a press conference on 30 March calling on the government to
hold the military accountable for corruption and other crimes. He was reportedly beaten in the early hours of 1
April by four military officials who hit him with the butts of their firearms and told him he was “too talkative”
in reference to his calls for the military to be held accountable. Francisco José Fadul received injuries all over
his body – including to his head – and a stab wound on his arm.
Prominent lawyer, Pedro Infanda was arbitrarily arrested by military officials on 23 March hours after he held
a press conference in his office, in which he spoke on behalf of his client, Jose Americo Bubo Na Tchute,
former head of the Guinea Bissau Navy. In the press conference, Pedro Infanda expressed his client’s opinion
that the newly appointed Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces was not competent for the post. Pedro Infanda
was taken from his office to the Quartel Amura de Bissau military installation, where he was severely beaten
with wooden objects for four days, and tortured. He was denied access to medical treatment, his family and
an attorney. His entire body is covered in bruises.
Both Pedro Infanda and Francisco José Fadul are currently in intensive care at the Simão Mendes National
Hospital in Bissau.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Guinea-Bissau has a long history of coups and military rebellions. Since 2000, soldiers have killed three
Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces, as well as other high ranking military officers. Those responsible for the
killings were not brought to justice.
In 2007, four journalists and a human rights defender, fearing they would be arrested and possibly tortured,
went into hiding after reporting on the involvement of military officials in the growing drug trafficking trade.
Rear Admiral Jose Americo Bubo Na Tchute was accused of leading an alleged coup attempt against the late
President Bernardo João Vieira on 6 August 2008. He reportedly escaped house arrest and fled to The
Gambia by sea.
On 1 March 2009, the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, General Batista Tagme Na Waie, was killed in a
bomb attack in his office in the Armed Forces General Command in Bissau. Hours later, in the early hours of
2 March, in an apparent revenge attack, soldiers killed President João Bernardo Vieira, whom they believed
was responsible for the death of General Tagme na Waie. The Military pledged to respect the Constitution and
a new Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces was appointed. In accordance with the Constitution the President of
the National Assembly took over as interim President until new presidential elections are held, expected by
early June at the latest.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in Portuguese and English or
your own language:
- expressing concern for the safety of Luís Vaz Martins and other members of the Human League following
threats that he received on 1 April 2009;
- urging the authorities to ensure the safety and protection of Luís Vaz Martins and other human rights
defenders in Guinea-Bissau
- calling on the authorities to investigate these threats and to bring those responsible to justice through fair
trials;
- calling on the authorities to guarantee that right to freedom of expression and the rights of human rights
defenders are respected;
- urging the government to take effective action to ensure all public servants, including the military, act to
recognize the legitimacy of the work of human rights defenders and to abstain from ill-treating and torturing
individuals for their criticism of the military
APPEALS TO:
Interior Minister
Excelência Comandante Lúcio Soares
Ministério do Interior
Avenida da Unidade Africana
Bissau
República da Guiné-Bissau
Fax: + 245 20 1671
Salutation: Excelência/Your Excellency
Procurator General
Excelência Luís Manuel Cabral
Procurador Geral da República
Procuradoria Geral
Avenida Amílcar Cabral
Bissau
República da Guiné-Bissau
Fax: +245 20 39 24
Salutation: Excelência/Your Excellency
Prime Minister
Excelência Carlos Gomes Júnior
Gabinete do Primeiro Ministro
Palácio do Governo
Praça dos Heróis Nacionais
Bissau
República da Guiné-Bissau
Fax: +245 20 1671/ 201676
Salutation: Excelência/Your Excellency
COPIES TO:
Chefe do Estado Maior Geral das Forças Armadas
Excelentíssimo Sr. Comandante de Fragata José Zamora Induta
Chefe do Estado Maior Geral das Forças Armadas
Quartel do Estado Maior Geral das Forças Armadas
Bissau
República da Guiné-Bissau
Salutation: Excelentíssimo Sr.
and to diplomatic representatives of Guinea-Bissau accredited to your country.
If you live in an EU member country, please also copy your embassy in Guinea-Bissau, asking the EU to
intervene to support these human rights defenders, in accordance with the European Union Guidelines on
Human Rights Defenders.
PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY. Check with the International Secretariat, or your section office, if
sending appeals after 14 May 2009.