Part 2 in the #FreeTheFive Blog Series
16 September marks one year since Adolfo, Gildo, Pensador and Tanaice Neutro have been imprisoned. Here, you will have a summary profile of the four activists sentenced to 880 days in prison for trying to participate in a demonstration.
On the morning of 16 September 2023, activists (A) Adolfo Campos, (G) Hermenegildo José Victor AKA Gildo das Ruas, (P) Abraão Pedro dos Santos AKA Pensador and (T) Gilson Moreira AKA Tanaice Neutro left their homes to join a solidarity protest with motorcycle taxi drivers who were facing restrictions on their activities in Luanda, capital of Angola. They believed, the restrictions would negatively impact young people, leading to unemployment and poverty.
The demonstration had been duly communicated to the authorities.
Hours before the beginning of the protest, some protesters arrived at the assembly point, and while waiting for others, they were surprised with the arrival of the police on site, carrying out arrests. As a form of non-resistance, the protesters lay down on the ground, but that’s not what police wanted, they were forced to get into the police car, to the police station.
19 September 2023, four days later, Adolfo, Gildo, Pensador and Tanaice Neutro found out that they would not return home before serving a sentence of twoyearsand five months in prison for disobedience, even though there was no evidence presented in court.
Pensador (37) had a wedding date set, but it had to be postponed
According to the lawyer in the case, before leaving the courtroom, the judge in the case only sentenced Adolfo, Gildo and Tanaice Neutro. Moments later, the clerk returned to the courtroom to read the minutes, and it was at that moment that Pensador (29 years old) found out that he had also been convicted.
Pensador was scheduled to get married in November 2023. That day, his partner saw her dream postponed, and although she tried to understand why her fiancé was being sentenced, she couldn’t get any answers.
Tanaice Neutro’s wife gave birth, but Tanaice won’t be able to see his baby until 2026
Tanaice Neutro (36) had just been released from a prison sentence of one year and six months for calling the president a clown. 18 months in prison were not enough to stop him from fighting against social injustice and for the right to protest, and it was with this conviction that Tanaice returned to the streets supporting other people in their struggles, little did he know that in three months he would return to prison to serve another sentence for a crime he didn’t commit. If Tanaice stays until the end of his current sentence, he will spend almost four years in prison simply for peacefully exercising his human rights.On 15September Tanice will celebrate his birthday, but will spend it in prison, this year, far from his family and friends.
Adolfo shares a cell with more than 100 inmates and sleeps on the floor
Adolfo (44) was working as a bureau chief at a local newspaper. Since he was arrested, his wife has been responsible for the education of their four minor children alone. When she is not looking for ways to support her children, she is driving for two hours a day to drop off food at the jail and looking for ways for the authorities to allow her husband’s treatment. Adolfo was diagnosed with pneumonia and needs urgent surgery according to his doctors. So far the authorities refuse to allow Adolfo to undergo surgery.
Now that Gildo is in prison, his disabled mother’s life has become even more complicated
Father of two young daughters, Gildo (28) loves studying politics. He dedicated his time to taking care of his mother who is living with a disability and relied on her son for her daily activities. Since the day Gildo left home to participate in the demonstration, he never saw his children again. That wasn’t the first demonstration he had participated in, but it was the first time he felt the intolerance of authorities that fail to facilitate peaceful protests. Every week friends and family visit him and all they wish is to see Gildo out of prison as soon as possible so he can get his normal life back.
End the crackdown on human rights!
This is not the first case of activists being arrested and summarily sentenced simply for exercising their human rights and without having committed any crime in Angola. Angolan authorities must uphold and ensure the human rights of everyone in the country including the rights of protesters. Angolan authorities must stop seeing activists and human rights defenders as a threat to the government when the only thing they do is exercise their human rights.
We recently launched a major campaign for the release of the 4 activists. We met the families of the four prisoners who shared how this one year has looked like without their beloved ones. Each week we will highlight in a blog, one of the four cases. Stay tuned to our social media. If you want to see them free immediately, join the campaign by signing this petition and sharing it now.