Office of the Spokesperson
For Immediate Release
STATEMENT BY JOHN KIRBY, SPOKESPERSON
March 31, 2016
Concerns Regarding Sentencing of Angolan Activists
The United States believes the harsh sentences levied this week by an Angolan
court against the Angola 15+2 activists threaten the exercise of freedoms of
expression and peaceful assembly. Both freedoms are enshrined in the
Angolan Constitution, protected under Angola’s international human rights
obligations, and are core values of any strong and functioning democracy.
We are also concerned about reports of procedural irregularities and lack
of transparency in the trial, which raise questions about whether the rule of
law has prevailed in this case.
We are encouraged, however,
that the trial of the 15+2 activists has become a matter of national Angolan
debate. We call on the Government of Angola to protect Angolans’
constitutional right to engage in peaceful, open, and public discourse.
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