Blood Diamonds: Corruption and Torture in Angola / Diamantes de Sangue: Corrupção e Tortura em Angola

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Today, less than a week after receiving a campaigning journalism award in London, begins the trial of Rafael Marques de Morais in Angola on charges of criminal defamation. The trial follows claims made in his book Blood Diamonds: Corruption and Torture in Angola (Portuguese version downloadable for free here), which detailed hundreds of killings and torture cases carried out by security guards and members of the Angolan army against local people and small-scale miners in the diamond fields of the Angolan Cuango region.
Shortly after publishing the book, Marques filed a lawsuit in Angola against nine Angolan army generals, accusing them of crimes against humanity. He alleged that the generals and company directors were complicit because they were reaping great profits from blood diamonds but doing nothing to stop the violence. In response, the corporations filed their own lawsuit against Marques in Portugal, Angola’s former colonial ruler and the place where the book was published. The Portuguese courts declared that Marques had a constitutional right – the right to freedom of speech – to publish his book. “Some powerful men saw a golden opportunity to have me convicted in a European court, but did not realise that although they can use their wealth to buy up Portugal’s houses, they cannot buy its judiciary, said Rafael.
I am currently reading this book and all I have to say is that it is dramatic. I have already signed the petition from Amnesty International and I urge you to do the same. You can do it here.
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A editora Tinta-da-china está a disponibilizar gratuitamente o PDF do livro do jornalista angolano Rafael Marques, que começou hoje a ser julgado em Luanda, acusado de denúncia caluniosa pelo conteúdo do seu livro Diamantes de Sangue – Corrupção e Tortura em Angola.
Para mais pormenores, podem ler o artigo do ionline aqui.
Eu comecei hoje a ler o livro, e tudo o que posso dizer é que é dramático e impressionante. Entretanto, também assinei a petição da Amnistia Internacional a seu favor. Se quiserem, também o podem fazer aqui.

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