Africa-Press – Angola. The Portuguese government linked what happened on Wednesday to a lack of “freedom of the press”, as did the journalists’ union and the statement of repudiation published by the television channel.
The Portuguese Government on Thursday “seriously regretted the situation that occurred with RTP in Luanda”, stressing that “Portugal deeply respects freedom of the press”, in reaction to the expulsion of the public television team from an event at the headquarters of the Angolan Presidency.
In a note sent to Lusa, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs states that “the Portuguese Government will transmit its position, through appropriate diplomatic channels, to the Angolan authorities”.
“Portugal deeply respects freedom of the press and, therefore, seriously regrets the situation that occurred with RTP in Luanda”, reads the note from the ministry overseen by Paulo Rangel.
On Wednesday, RTP expressed “deep concern and vehement repudiation” of the “expulsion of the team” assigned to cover an event at the headquarters of the Angolan Presidency, in Luanda, in a Note of Protest sent to the Presidency and the Government of Angola.
In the Protest Note, the Information Directors of RTP, António José Teixeira, of RDP, Mário Galego, and the Director of RTP África, Isabel Silva Costa, expressed “deep concern and vehement repudiation” for the “arbitrary expulsion of the team from the Portuguese public broadcaster RTP, assigned to the Palácio da Cidade Alta to cover an official meeting of the Presidency”.
“ 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”, reads the Protest Note.
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, the Protest Note continues.
For RTP, the Angolan Presidency’s decision not to allow its professionals to attend official events “reveals an unacceptable attempt to silence freedom of expression in a country that claims to be committed to democratic values ”.
RTP’s editorial managers reiterated their solidarity with their professionals and demanded “full respect for the rights of journalists, the restoration of working conditions”, as well as “an end to practices of political exclusion in access to information of public interest”.
The case, which occurred on Monday, was also condemned by the Portuguese and Angolan journalists’ unions.
The Angolan Journalists Union urged the Press Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic of Angola to “retract and reverse the measure”.
Lusa asked the Angolan Presidency for a reaction, but has not yet received a response.
For More News And Analysis About Angola Follow Africa-Press
