Tiffany & Co backs investigative reporter in Angola blood diamonds case

The Guardian

Diamond retailer signs open letter to Angolan president over Rafael Marques de Morais, known for his groundbreaking investigation into blood diamonds

 

Journalist Rafael Marques de Morais sits in court in Luanda where he was given a six-month suspended sentence after being convicted of slander. Photograph: Reuters
Jessica Elgot
Wednesday 3 June 2015 00.41 BST Last modified on Wednesday 3 June 2015 11.03 BST

Tiffany & Co has called on Angola to drop the prosecution of an investigative reporter known for his groundbreaking investigation into blood diamonds.

The diamond retailer is one of a host of famous names, including 12 Years A Slave director Steve McQueen, who have signed an open letter to Angolan president José Eduardo dos Santos over the treatment of Rafael Marques de Morais.



Angolan journalist given suspended jail term over blood diamonds book

Marques, who uncovered stories of widespread torture and murder in the country’s diamond industry, was last week given a six-month suspended sentence over claims made in his 2011 book, Blood Diamonds: Corruption and Torture in Angola.

The book accused seven army generals of complicity in more than 100 killings and widespread torture by a private security company, owned by the generals, in the country’s diamond fields.

“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,” the letter reads.

“[His] 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.”

Marques had faced 24 defamation charges that could have resulted in a nine-year prison sentence and a fine of £800,000. Human rights groups were cautiously optimistic after seven generals appeared to drop charges last week after an out-of-court settlement, as international political and media interest grew.

But, in an unexpected twist, judge Adriano Cerveira on Thursday handed down a suspended six month sentence for “slander” and ordered Marques to “withdraw the book from the market, including on the internet, and not to republish or translate it”. It is unclear how that would be enforced in international markets.

Following the sentence, Marques said that he believes the generals had deliberately misled him, and had wished to avoid the public embarrassment of being cross-examined in court, while still intending to pursue him.

The six-month suspended sentence is a way to ensure he does not continue his investigations into torture and corruption in the southern African nation, he added.

“It’s a victory for treachery and ill-faith and it just proves the generals were aware of the abuses in the region,” he said. “If they were unaware, they would not have resorted to such laws to clear their names in such a crude and manipulative manner.”



Other signatories to Tuesday’s letter include Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales; actors Janet Suzman and Juliet Stevenson; playwright Howard Brenton; former Times editor Sir Harold Evans and the paper’s current editor, John Witherow.

Several other diamond merchants have also signed, including ethical jewellers Brilliant Earth and Leber. The letter will be delivered to the embassy of Angola in London by the free expression group Index on Censorship.

“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, chief executive of Index, which gave Marques a Freedom of Expression award earlier this year.

“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.” 

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Makaangola.org, Blood Diamonds: Torture and Corruption in Angola