Mozambique Faces Claims of Human-Rights Violations After Prison Break
TLDR
- A Mozambican human-rights organization has urged the attorney-general to investigate alleged severe human-rights violations following a December 25 jailbreak
- More than 1,500 prisoners escaped from the maximum-security facility, with authorities reporting 33 deaths initially
- The organization called for a thorough investigation, reparations for victims and families, and proper exhumation and burial of the deceased
A Mozambican human-rights organization has urged the attorney-general to investigate alleged severe human-rights violations following a December 25 jailbreak near Maputo. Security forces are accused of killing over 100 recaptured prisoners and burying them in mass graves, according to the Centre for Human Rights (CDD).
More than 1,500 prisoners escaped from the maximum-security facility, with authorities reporting 33 deaths initially. By the same evening, about 150 inmates had been recaptured. The CDD claims the actual death toll exceeds 130, far higher than the 37 officially confirmed fatalities by the National Penitentiary Service.
The organization called for a thorough investigation, reparations for victims and families, and proper exhumation and burial of the deceased. Mozambique’s deputy attorney general and penitentiary officials have not responded to requests for comment.
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Key Takeaways
The allegations come amid broader unrest linked to opposition leader Venâncio Mondlane’s rejection of the October 9 presidential election results and subsequent protests, which have escalated into violence, looting, and arson in Maputo and Matola. The turmoil has impacted key industries. Sasol has scaled back operations in Mozambique, and Syrah Resources, a Tesla supplier, declared force majeure at its graphite mine. A government commission has been established to investigate the jailbreak, but the emerging allegations of extrajudicial killings raise significant questions about governance, accountability, and respect for human rights in Mozambique.
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