Angola jails activist

INTERNATIONAL human rights and anti-corruption organisation Global Witness (GW) has demanded that the Angolan government immediately and unconditionally release Dr Sarah Wykes, held incommunicado in Cabinda on charges of espionage since the weekend.

Wykes, a highly respected academic and oil industry expert who works for GW, was arrested by armed Angolan police in Cabinda on Sunday morning. She was meeting representatives of local civil society to monitor progress in transparency in the Angolan oil sector, GW said in a statement yesterday afternoon.Local immigration police first confiscated her passport on Saturday evening, and returned the next morning to seize some of her personal belongings and demand that she accompany them to the police station, GW said.Because they could not present her with a warrant, she declined and was placed under armed guard at her hotel.The police later returned with a warrant and took her to the local police station where she was informed late on Sunday afternoon that she faced charges of espionage, GW said.She was formally charged yesterday morning, but the Angolan authorities have so far not presented any evidence to back up their charges, GW campaigner Alex Yearsley said from London yesterday.The NGO categorically rejected any charges of espionage, noting that Wykes has been a tireless campaigner for transparency in the Angolan oil sector.Her arrest and the conditions under which she has been held since were an affront to her human rights, Yearsley charged.”The Angolan authorities are denying Sarah [Wykes] her own lawyers and are insisting on appointing a government lawyer, which we understand to be illegal under Angolan law,” Yearsley said.No comment could be obtained from the local Angolan military chancery – under whose auspices Cabinda falls – at the time of going to press.The London-based NGO in 1999 and 2000 released reports on endemic corruption in the Angolan diamond and oil sectors.* John Grobler is a freelance journalist; 081 240 1587She was meeting representatives of local civil society to monitor progress in transparency in the Angolan oil sector, GW said in a statement yesterday afternoon. Local immigration police first confiscated her passport on Saturday evening, and returned the next morning to seize some of her personal belongings and demand that she accompany them to the police station, GW said.Because they could not present her with a warrant, she declined and was placed under armed guard at her hotel.The police later returned with a warrant and took her to the local police station where she was informed late on Sunday afternoon that she faced charges of espionage, GW said.She was formally charged yesterday morning, but the Angolan authorities have so far not presented any evidence to back up their charges, GW campaigner Alex Yearsley said from London yesterday.The NGO categorically rejected any charges of espionage, noting that Wykes has been a tireless campaigner for transparency in the Angolan oil sector.Her arrest and the conditions under which she has been held since were an affront to her human rights, Yearsley charged.”The Angolan authorities are denying Sarah [Wykes] her own lawyers and are insisting on appointing a government lawyer, which we understand to be illegal under Angolan law,” Yearsley said.No comment could be obtained from the local Angolan military chancery – under whose auspices Cabinda falls – at the time of going to press. The London-based NGO in 1999 and 2000 released reports on endemic corruption in the Angolan diamond and oil sectors.* John Grobler is a freelance journalist; 081 240 1587