Human rights in Angola
Encyclopedia
Human rights in Angola
are poor with widespread documentation of arbitrary arrest and detention
and torture.
The Constitution also spells out the rules and regulations for a mixed economic system that respects private property, free trade and free enterprise while also addressing concerns of social justice.
Constitutional rights and limited by laws designed to protect national security, public order, safety or health. Children and the family are also given special Constitutional protection.
Juveniles convicted of even petty crimes are often placed in the same facilities as adults, with the special detention centers for juveniles overcrowded http://www.hrw.org/en/africa/angola.
n lawyer, and a United Nations
working group interviewed more than 400 detainees for ten days. Zerrougui met detainees who "showed visible signs of torture," a tactic used to obtain confessions from suspects at two prisons in Luanda
; Cacuaco Prison and Viana Prison. The working group concluded the Angolan government has imprisoned civilians in Cabinda military prison and Viana Immigration Detention Centre in Cabinda
province, denying them access to a judge or legal representation, although the government denied the working group access to such facilities.
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
are poor with widespread documentation of arbitrary arrest and detention
Arbitrary arrest and detention
Arbitrary arrest and arbitrary detention are the arrest or detention of an individual in a case in which there is no likelihood or evidence that they committed a crime against legal statute, or in which there has been no proper due process of law...
and torture.
Constitutional Rights
The national Constitution, ratified in 1992, does guarantee most of the legal, social and political rights that are outlined in many other developed democratic nations, such as;- Fundamental Principles Article 4 - Mandates a multiparty parliamentary democracy with the right of citizens to vote, hold office and create political organizations http://unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/CAFRAD/UNPAN002502.pdf.
- Fundamental Principles Article 8 - Freedom of religion, including a separation between Church and State http://unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/CAFRAD/UNPAN002502.pdf.
- Fundamental Rights and Duties Article 18 - Equal rights under the law; irrespective of a citizen's race, color, ethnic or national group, sex, religion, political opinion, level of education or social status http://unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/CAFRAD/UNPAN002502.pdf.
- Fundamental Rights and Duties Article 20 - The government shall respect human rights and human dignity and the right of citizens to develop their own personality and to have their good name and reputation protected by the law.
- Fundamental Rights and Duties Article 22 - Prohibits capital punishment.
- Fundamental Rights and Duties Article 23 - Prohibits torture, cruel or inhumane treatment.
- Fundamental Rights and Duties Article 24 - Environmental protection, clear air and conservation.
- Fundamental Rights and Duties Article 25 - Freedom of movement.
- Fundamental Rights and Duties Article 32 - Freedom of expression and assembly.
- Fundamental Rights and Duties Article 33 - Right to form trade unions.
- Fundamental Rights and Duties Article 35 - Freedom of the press.
- Fundamental Rights and Duties Articles 37 - 44 Stipulate the procedural due process rights of citizens.
- Fundamental Rights and Duties Article 45 - Freedom of religion.
The Constitution also spells out the rules and regulations for a mixed economic system that respects private property, free trade and free enterprise while also addressing concerns of social justice.
Constitutional rights and limited by laws designed to protect national security, public order, safety or health. Children and the family are also given special Constitutional protection.
Courts
Enforcement of Constitutional rights falls to the Constitutional Courts http://www.tribunalconstitucional.ao/Default.aspx?IDM=2&IDLang=1.Women and Children
The Constitutional stipulate equal rights for women and special protections for children. The Government's Family and Promotion of Women is charged with improving the lives of women and children in Angola http://www.peacewomen.org/news/Angola/July04/unfocus.html.Juveniles convicted of even petty crimes are often placed in the same facilities as adults, with the special detention centers for juveniles overcrowded http://www.hrw.org/en/africa/angola.
United Nations Reports
Leila Zerrougui, an AlgeriaAlgeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
n lawyer, and a United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
working group interviewed more than 400 detainees for ten days. Zerrougui met detainees who "showed visible signs of torture," a tactic used to obtain confessions from suspects at two prisons in Luanda
Luanda
Luanda, formerly named São Paulo da Assunção de Loanda, is the capital and largest city of Angola. Located on Angola's coast with the Atlantic Ocean, Luanda is both Angola's chief seaport and its administrative center. It has a population of at least 5 million...
; Cacuaco Prison and Viana Prison. The working group concluded the Angolan government has imprisoned civilians in Cabinda military prison and Viana Immigration Detention Centre in Cabinda
Cabinda (province)
Cabinda is an exclave and province of Angola, a status that has been disputed by many political organizations in the territory. The capital city is also called Cabinda. The province is divided into four municipalities - Belize, Buco Zau, Cabinda and Cacongo.Modern Cabinda is the result of a fusion...
province, denying them access to a judge or legal representation, although the government denied the working group access to such facilities.
See also
- LGBT rights in AngolaLGBT rights in AngolaLesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons in Angola face legal issues not experienced by non-LGBT citizens. Both male and female homosexual acts are illegal in Angola...
- Human trafficking in AngolaHuman trafficking in AngolaAngola is a source and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to trafficking in persons, specifically conditions of forced prostitution and forced labor. Internally, trafficking victims are forced to labor in agriculture, construction, domestic servitude, and reportedly in...