it has become politically incorrect to refer to police officers as "pigs" (see 60's in the u.s.) but the fact is that pc or not it is sometimes accurate and warranted...police in angola are responsible for persistent human rights violations, with few perpetrators ever brought to justice...
a climate of arbitrary arrests and unlawful detention, torture and ill-treatment, deaths in police custody and extrajudicial executions is exposed in a new amnesty international report...officers that commit such abuses have almost total impunity...
angolan police regulations force officers to comply with all orders from their superiors, irrespective of whether the instruction is unlawful or not...according to muluka-anne miti, amnesty international's researcher on angola:
"Due to the requirement of complete obedience in the Angolan police force, police officers often carry out orders without questioning the legality of their actions," said Muluka-Anne Miti, Amnesty International's researcher on Angola. This has resulted in officers participating in illegal actions, such as mass forced evictions and the beating of suspects and their families. Police perpetrators of such violent actions must be taken to court and brought to justice -- and the victims should receive full reparation for their suffering."
the angolan national police is relatively underdeveloped following the 27-year-long civil war, which ended in 2002...a 10-year police modernization plan has seen human rights training become part of the police training curriculum...however, amnesty international continues to learn of police brutality and impunity...
this is the heart and soul of what amnesty does effectively - research, verify, and report human rights violations across all borders and boundries...
in february 2007, francisco levi da costa was found beaten to death in a cell in a police station in luanda, the angolan capital...it was reported that he had been brutally beaten by police for four consecutive days...the police stated that an investigation was being carried out – as they have in other similar cases - but these investigations have still not been concluded and no one has been held responsible for the deaths...said muluka-anne miti:
"The only way to stop the continuing human rights violations by the police is for police officers to be held accountable for their actions in a court of law. The Angolan police must revise their disciplinary regulations to ensure that they contain provisions stipulating that all law enforcement officials have both a right and a duty not to obey unlawful orders -- particularly orders that could lead to a violation of human rights. It should also include provisions for the protection of officers who report or oppose such orders."
so if you believe that the work of amnesty international is vital please become a member...if you join at the $50 level or higher you will receive a free copy of the instant karma 2 cd set...
peace out <3
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