RAPAPORT... A number of supporters of journalist Rafael Marques de Morais, including Tiffany & Co., Leber Jeweler Inc. and Brilliant Earth, signed a letter to Angola's President José Eduardo dos Santos urging him to drop a six-month suspended sentence in relation to criminal defamation charges over his 2011 book, "Blood Diamonds: Corruption and Torture in Angola."
“Rafael’s trial was a sham. He was told charges would be dropped, only for him to be hit with new charges out of the blue and he was not allowed to present his evidence or call witnesses,” said Jodie Ginsberg, the CEO of freedom of expression group Index on Censorship, which organized signatories for the letter. “Rafael is a courageous journalist, working with little support to expose corruption in Angola. This absurd trial and verdict is meant to stop him from speaking out. We want to make sure that does not happen.”
In addition to the three jewelry firms, others who signed the letter included technology entrepreneur Martha Lane Fox and Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales; authors Philip Pullman, Neil Gaiman and Elif Shafak; actors Janet Suzman, Juliet Stevenson and Simon Callow; playwrights Howard Brenton and Timberlake Wertenbaker; as well as Steve McQueen, the director of Oscar-winning film "12 Years a Slave."
The full letter follows:
We, the undersigned, call on Angolan President José Eduardo dos Santos to drop the prosecution of journalist Rafael Marques de Morais. Marques’ vital investigations into human rights abuses should not be impeded by the threat of jail, which is set to loom over him for two years under the court’s terms.
His conviction and six-month suspended sentence are a clear violation of the rights to free expression, to a free press and to a fair trial. Marques’ reporting is fundamental not only to Angola, but to the world at large.
We call on you to ensure standards of international law are applied during the appeal process.
Yours faithfully,
Ali Ferzat, cartoonist Angela Quintal, editor, Mail & Guardian, South Africa Dame Ann Leslie, journalist Anthony Barling, lawyer Art Kaufman, World Movement for Democracy Bob Fu, founder and president, ChinaAid Brilliant Earth Jewellery Carl Gershman, president, National Endowment for Democracy Chantal Uwimana, Transparency International Christopher Hird, film producer Christophe Deloire, secretary-general, Reporters Without Borders Christina Lamb OBE, journalist David Aaronovitch, columnist David Harewood MBE, actor David McCune, publisher David Schlesinger, founder, Tripod Advisors Dreda Say Mitchell, author Edward Fitzgerald CBE QC, lawyer Elaine Potter, journalist Elif Shafak, author Geoffrey Hosking OBE, historian Grigory Pasko, journalist Sir Harold Evans, journalist Howard Brenton, playwright Idrak Abbasov, journalist Janet Suzman, actor and director Jesper Højberg, executive director, International Media Support Jeffrey Smith, Robert F Kennedy Centre for Justice & Human Rights Jimmy Wales, founder, Wikipedia Jodie Ginsberg, chief executive, Index on Censorship John Witherow, editor, The Times, UK Juliet Stevenson, actor Kamila Shamsie, author Kostas Vaxevanis, journalist Lara Pawson, author of In the Name of the People: Angola’s Forgotten Massacre Larry Kilman, secretary-general, World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers Leber Jeweler Inc. Lee Hirsch, film director Lindsey Hilsum, journalist Louise Redvers, journalist Mariane Pearl, journalist Mark Stephens CBE, senior member, Howard Kennedy LLP Martha Lane Fox CBE, House of Lords Mary Lawlor, executive director, Front Line Defenders Maya Wolfe-Robinson, journalist Matthew d’Ancona, journalist Matthew Parris, journalist Mohamed Al-Dharadji, film director Neil Gaiman, author Paul Webster, film producer Peter Oborne, journalist Peter Kellner, president, YouGov Peter Pomerantsev, author Peter Tatchell, director, Peter Tatchell Foundation Philip Pullman, author Rahim Haciyev, editor, Azadliq, Azerbaijan Richard Sambrook, director, Centre for Journalism, Cardiff University Ronald Deibert, academic Robert McCrum, writer and editor Sanar Yurdatapan, Initiative for Freedom of Expression, Turkey Shubhranshu Choudhary, journalist Simon Callow CBE, actor Steve McQueen CBE, film director Sue Woodford-Hollick OBE, businesswoman Sue Valentine, Committee to Protect Journalists Africa Programme Suzanne Nossel, executive director, PEN American Centre Stephen Hull, editor-in-chief, Huffington Post UK Thomas Hughes, executive director, Article 19 Tiffany & Co. Timberlake Wertenbaker, playwright Turi Munthe, founder, Demotix Yoav Shamir, filmmaker Ziyad Marar, publisher
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