By Ricardo Dias
Maputo (MOZTIMES) – The Presiding Judge of the Zambézia Provincial Law Court, Paulo Reis, on Thursday in the city of Quelimane, assaulted journalist Nhama Armando, of the paper “Diário da Zambézia” (DZ), while he was doing his job.
According to the management of “Diário da Zambézia”, the judge struck Nhama Armando when he and a colleague were taking photographs of the external part of the court building.
Nhama and Salvador Henriques were covering a trial in that court when they were intercepted by the judge who wanted to know if they were authorised to take photos of the institution.
The journalists explained that there was no need for authorisation, since it was a public institution.
The judge said the journalists had violated the norms, and so their story could not be published. They refused to accept this order, pointing out that the case before the court was a public crime.
The judge photographed the credentials of the journalists and they prepared to photograph the magistrate.
At this point, the judge seized Salvador’s cell phone and used it to hit Nhama Armando, leaving him in shock.
According to the journalists, cited by “Diário da Zambézia”, the judge apologised for his act, claiming that he was suffering from stress.
“I’ve been feeling stress from this job, and I ended up taking it out on you. I apologise. I recognise that I was wrong”, said the judge, adding that he is approaching 60 years of age.
Attacks against journalists have been a constant in election years in Mozambique. Last Saturday, in Ressano Garcia, the police shot a journalist who was covering the funeral of a victim of bullets fired by the Rapid Intervention Unit (UIR – the Mozambican riot police).
A recent study by MISA-Moçambique shows that last year, during the municipal elections, the number of cases of aggression against journalists was three times higher than in the previous year. (RD)
