No mention of a 6 November 1999 arrest of William Tonet of Folha 8 could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

However, various sources revealed that William Tonet, editor of FOLHA 8, was arrested in October (IFEX 4 Oct. 1999; MISA 4 Oct. 1999; CPJ 13 Jan. 2000; RSF 2000), interrogated (MISA 14 Sept. 1999; Country Reports 1999 2000, sect. 1.g) and detained in September (ibid. DFN 30 Sept. 1999) and in April 1999 (IFEX 19 Apr. 1999; CPJ 1999; AI 2000) by state security forces.

According to 30 September 1999 Digital Freedom Network (DFN) report:

September was a frustrating month for the staff of Folha 8, a bi-weekly newspaper based in Luanda, Angola. They have been repeatedly harassed and interrogated by members of the Criminal Investigation Police Department (DNIC), in Luanda, for publishing articles criticizing the Movement for the Liberation of Angola - the ruling group in Angola.

On September 6 [1999] William Tonet, director of Folha 8, was interrogated by the DNIC as a result of an article condemning a police raid on Radio Ecclesia, an independent Catholic radio station.

In an interview with the free speech organization Media Institute of Southern Africa, Tonet reported that he had been held for just over three hours and was questioned about the sources that were used in the Radio Ecclesia article. Two days after Tonet was questioned, two of the paper's layout artists were interrogated about the same article.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Amnesty International (AI). 2000. Annual Report 2000. "Angola." http://www.web.amnesty.org/web/ar2000web.n [Accessed 25 Jan. 2002]

Committee to Protest Journalist (CPJ). 13 January 2000. "Angola: One of Africa's Worse Press Freedom Offenders." http://www.cpj.org/protests/00ltrs/Angola13jan00pl.html [Accessed 21 Jan. 2002].

_____. 1999. Africa: Country Report: "Angola."

Country Report on Human Rights Practices for 1999. 2000. United States Department of State. Washington, D.C. http://www.state.gov/www/global/human_rights/1999_hrp_report/angola.html [Accessed 25 Jan. 2002]

Digital Freedom Network (DFN). 30 September 1999. "Censoring Folha 8. http://www.dfn.org/focus/angola/folha8.htm [Accessed 21 Jan. 2002]

The International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX) [Toronto]. 4 October 1999. "Angola; Editor Arrested, Another Newspaper Temporarily Closed." (NEXIS/AN)

_____. 19 April 1999. "Angola, Editor Interrogated, Military Brings Charges Against Journalist." (NEXIS/AN

Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA). 4 October 1999. " Angola Alert: Editor Arrested, Still in Jail, Separate Newspaper Temporarily Closed." http://www.misanet.org/alerts/19991004.angola.0.html [Accessed 21 Jan. 2002]

_____. 14 September 1999. "Angola; Angola Alert and Update." (NEXIS/AN)

_____. 2000. Africa 1999: Angola. http://www.cpj.org/attacks/africa99/Angola.html [Accessed 21 Jan. 2002]

Reporters sans frontières (RSF). 2000. 2000 Annual Report: Africa: Angola. http:www.rsf.fr/uk/rap2000/afrique/angola/angola.html [Accessed 21 Jan. 2002]

Additional Sources Consulted

Africa Confidential. 1999-2000.

Africa Research Bulletin 1999-2000.

IRB Databases.

Jeune Afrique/L'Intelligent. 1999.

Keesing's Record of World Events 1999-2000..

LEXIS/NEXIS.

REFWORLD.

Resource Centre country file. Angola. 1999.

Internet sites including:

All Africa News.

Amnesty International.

Angola Peace Monitor [Luanda].

Angola Press News Agency [Luanda].

Human Rights Watch.

Immigration & Nationality Directorate, UK.

Inter-Church Coalition on Africa.

The Inter-African Network for Human Rights.

Mail and Guardian [Johannesburg].

Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA).

MISNA.

Reliefweb.