Watchdog says rights defenders are being harassed

Defenders of human rights and political opponents in Guinea-Bissau are facing "a sustained clamp-down" on peaceful opposition and criticism of government policy, Amnesty International (AI)reported on Monday. Victims of the latest wave of government harassment, AI reported, include the founder and former president of the Guinea-Bissau Human Rights League, Fernando Gomes, and the league's vice president, Joao Vaz Mane. Amnesty said they were arrested and accused of misappropriating funds donated to the league but neither the foreign donor nor the league had complained about them. "There seems to be no evidence of wrongdoing," Amnesty reported. Gomes, who also leads the opposition Alianca Socialista da Guine (Socialist Alliance of Guinea-Bissau), was arrested on 2 February and is being held at the main police station in Bissau. Mane was arrested on 26 January, but was released on bail on 1 February. Anesty said that in more recent developments related to freedom of expression and the media, the director of a local NGO, Ajuda e Desenvolvimento (Aid and Development), and the owner and director of the private Radio Bombolom appeared before the prosecutor general on Monday to answer questions related to the statutes of a community radio, Voz de Quelele, and Radio Bombolom. Voz de Quelele is sponsored by Ajuda e Desenvolvimento. "The Guinea-Bissau government should immediately and unconditionally release Fernando Gomes and Joao Vaz Mane and any other people detained for criticising government policy, or charge them with a recognisable criminal offence," Amnesty reported. [For full report visit http://web.amnesty.org/web/news.nsf/thisweek?openview]