Niassa Provincial Prison cancels Mozambique Bar Association lecture

The Mozambique Bar Association (OAM) Niassa delegation was forced to cancel a scheduled lecture at the Niassa Provincial Prison in Lichinga due to the presence of journalists. Although the OAM had submitted a written request for the 'Justice Caravan' and received prior approval, prison authorities blocked the event once they became aware that members of the press were present.

In addition to barring the media, officials prohibited the use of mobile phones and photography, preventing the documentation of the legal support being provided. Milton Suculeti, vice-president of the OAM Provincial Council in Niassa, described the administration's stance as uncomfortable, noting that similar activities had been conducted at the facility in the past without such restrictions.

The intended lecture aimed to address the issue of pretrial detention with expired deadlines. The OAM planned to educate inmates on legal mechanisms to contest undue detention, the application of alternative sentences, and the protection of fundamental rights for those deprived of liberty.