Africa-Press – Angola. The Portuguese Journalists’ Union (SJ) expressed its “deep repudiation” this Thursday at the expulsion of the RTP team assigned to cover an event at the headquarters of the Angolan Presidency, in Luanda.
In a statement, the SJ considered this expulsion “an attack on Freedom of the Press, access to sources and the right to inform”, and stated that “these actions constitute unacceptable political interference and pressure on journalists who live and work in the country”.
The union said it rejected “any type of interference by any political or other actors in the work of journalists anywhere in the world” and expressed confidence that RTP “will do everything in its power to defend its professionals”.
According to a protest note, signed by the Information Directors of RTP, RDP and the Director of RTP Africa, “despite being duly accredited and legitimately exercising their journalistic function, RTP professionals were removed from the press room, in a selective and discriminatory action that contrasts with the permanence of other journalists”.
The editorial directors of the Portuguese public broadcaster consider that the attitude of the Angolan authorities “represents an attack on freedom of the press and a flagrant violation of the fundamental principles of journalism and democracy”.
“RTP was also excluded from the Whatsapp group of the Presidency Press Center — the official means of disseminating the institutional agenda of accredited media outlets”, in Angola, according to the protest note.
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