Mozambique police ‘kill freely’

The report says police are rarely held to accountRights group Amnesty International has accused the police in Mozambique of killing people with impunity.

Amnesty says 46 people have died at the hands of the police since 2006.

It also says investigations are lacking and police prosecutions are rare.

A Mozambican police spokesman says Amnesty’s findings are biased.

He says all police who had carried out unlawful killings have been convicted and jailed for more than 20 years.

‘Indiscriminate firing’

The organization cites the case of dancer and choreographer Augusto Cuivias, the BBC’s Africa analyst Martin Plaut reports.

In December 2007 Mr Cuivias heard a noise while he was at home with his partner and son.

He called the police, who said they had no transport. So he called his former wife, who drove the police to the home.

When they arrived, the police opened fire indiscriminately, killing
Mr Cuivias and his guard, Amnesty International says. His partner suffered a miscarriage.

Although two members of the police were arrested, no disciplinary action has apparently been taken against any officer. Amnesty says this is typical.

Families are unable to find out why their relatives are killed and, without money, they have little hope of getting justice.

Amnesty says it was told there was no need for an investigation, since the killings are lawful.

Source: BBC