By Noémia Mendes
Maputo (MOZTIMES) – Mozambique’s Attorney-General’s Office has formally charged opposition leader Venâncio Mondlane with five offences, including incitement to terrorism and public incitement to commit a crime. Mondlane disclosed the charges this Tuesday morning, in the capital Maputo, after attending a hearing at the Attorney-General’s Office, where he had been summoned to receive the indictment.
Speaking to journalists, Mondlane dismissed the charges and claimed he is the target of political persecution for denouncing alleged fraud in the October 2024 general elections. “There is selective justice that protects those who commit crimes and persecutes those who expose them”, Mondlane said. “The Public Prosecutor’s Office is only swift when it comes to me and my supporters,” he added, pointing to what he described as a lack of impartiality within the justice system.
Mondlane remains free under a Term of Identity and Residence (TIR), which prevents him from leaving the country or changing residence without judicial authorisation.
He was the runner-up in the 2024 presidential election, securing 20% of the vote against the 70% officially attributed to incumbent President Daniel Chapo. Mondlane has refused to recognise the results and led a wave of popular protests, which were violently suppressed by the police, leaving more than 380 people dead, around one thousand injured, and over seven thousand arrested, more than half of whom remain in detention. (NM)
