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Amnesty International on Thursday called for the release of Angolan activist Serrote Oliviera, who was arbitrarily detained by local authorities. Oliviera, also known as General Nila, is the leader of the National Union for Total Revolution of Angola and has been in detention for over 250 days. According to the rights organization, Angolan authorities have repeatedly failed to present credible evidence against General Nila and have continued to block his lawyers’ access to the relevant case files.
Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa’s regional office, Tigere Chagutah, also spoke out Thursday, demanding the authorities honor Oliviera’s right to a fair trial, and refrain from inhibiting his exercise thereof any further:
General Nila has been a vocal advocate against injustice(s) in Angola, specifically advocating for the release of arbitrarily detained activists through peaceful demonstrations. He has been detained several times during these demonstrations. In July, along with activists Osvaldo Caholo, André Miranda, Kiluanje Lourenço, Buka Tanda, Gonçalves Frederico “Fredy”, and Soba Príncipe, he was detained after leading student and taxi drivers’ strikes against increasing fuel prices. They were indicted for “crimes of rebellion, advocacy of crime, vandalism, and terrorism.” Angolan Police have been accused of excessive force and arbitrary arrests of protestors. Moreover, over 22 people had been unlawfully killed during the protests, with Amnesty calling on authorities to conduct impartial and independent investigations into the same.
In October 2025, several vigils were organised for the freedom of political prisoners; however, these were ultimately blocked by the authorities. General Nila, enroute a hospital to visit a family member, had stopped to live stream the first day of the strike in Luanda when he was shot by the security officers and arrested. He has since been detained. The Constitutional court had declared certain provisions of the law on vandalism, on which the general’s arrest was based, unconstitutional in December 2025, making his arrest an arbitrary detention.
Angola under President Lourenço has increasingly witnessed repression, banning criticism against the President and stifling individuals’ rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, association, and the press. In 2024, President Lourenço passed the Law on Crimes of Vandalism of Public Goods and Services, imposing severe prison sentences for acts of vandalism, therefore criminalising participants in peaceful protests. The National Security Law, which gives security forces powers to supervise media outlets and interrupt broadcasts without any judicial oversight under “exceptional circumstances”, has also been signed.
In October 2024, Amnesty International commented on the clear link between the unequal distribution of natural resources and the government’s increasing crackdown on protests and peaceful dissent. Angola has recently been under fire for its parliament passing a bill that significantly restricts the operations of civil society organisations. A draft legislation to govern “online disinformation” was also introduced in January 2026, raising concerns around the governmental efforts to suppress freedom of expression and public debate.
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Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa’s regional office, Tigere Chagutah, also spoke out Thursday, demanding the authorities honor Oliviera’s right to a fair trial, and refrain from inhibiting his exercise thereof any further:
The government’s treatment of Oliviera has raised serious concerns regarding violations against fair trial and due process, highlighting Angolan authorities’ rapidly increasing efforts to silence activists and punish dissent.
General Nila has been a vocal advocate against injustice(s) in Angola, specifically advocating for the release of arbitrarily detained activists through peaceful demonstrations. He has been detained several times during these demonstrations. In July, along with activists Osvaldo Caholo, André Miranda, Kiluanje Lourenço, Buka Tanda, Gonçalves Frederico “Fredy”, and Soba Príncipe, he was detained after leading student and taxi drivers’ strikes against increasing fuel prices. They were indicted for “crimes of rebellion, advocacy of crime, vandalism, and terrorism.” Angolan Police have been accused of excessive force and arbitrary arrests of protestors. Moreover, over 22 people had been unlawfully killed during the protests, with Amnesty calling on authorities to conduct impartial and independent investigations into the same.
In October 2025, several vigils were organised for the freedom of political prisoners; however, these were ultimately blocked by the authorities. General Nila, enroute a hospital to visit a family member, had stopped to live stream the first day of the strike in Luanda when he was shot by the security officers and arrested. He has since been detained. The Constitutional court had declared certain provisions of the law on vandalism, on which the general’s arrest was based, unconstitutional in December 2025, making his arrest an arbitrary detention.
Angola under President Lourenço has increasingly witnessed repression, banning criticism against the President and stifling individuals’ rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, association, and the press. In 2024, President Lourenço passed the Law on Crimes of Vandalism of Public Goods and Services, imposing severe prison sentences for acts of vandalism, therefore criminalising participants in peaceful protests. The National Security Law, which gives security forces powers to supervise media outlets and interrupt broadcasts without any judicial oversight under “exceptional circumstances”, has also been signed.
In October 2024, Amnesty International commented on the clear link between the unequal distribution of natural resources and the government’s increasing crackdown on protests and peaceful dissent. Angola has recently been under fire for its parliament passing a bill that significantly restricts the operations of civil society organisations. A draft legislation to govern “online disinformation” was also introduced in January 2026, raising concerns around the governmental efforts to suppress freedom of expression and public debate.
The post Rights organization demands immediate release of arbitrarily detained Angola activist appeared first on JURIST - News.
Continue reading...
Note: We don't have any responsibilities about this news. Its been posted here by Feed Reader and we had no controls and checking on it. And because News posted here will be deleted automatically after 21 days, threads are closed so that no one spend time to post and discuss here. You can always check the source and discuss in their site.