Brussels, 28 February 2014 - Ana Gomes addressed yesterday a letter to the President of the European Commission, Mr. Barroso, informing him of the detention of Mr. Capenda Camulemba, traditional regent of North Lunda in Angola and of the intimidation made against Mrs. Linda Moisés Rosa, a peasant of that region. In the letter, Ana Gomes also requested any possible protection through the EU Delegation in Angola. Yesterday Angolan police and judiciary authorities intimidated those two citizens (even detaining the Regent for several hours) because of their participation in a public hearing that the Socialist MEP promoted in the European Parliament's Office in Lisbon, on February 7th, under the theme "Diamonds, Millionaires, Violence and Poverty in the Lundas - the impact of human rights violations in the relations between the European Union and Angola". Regent Capenda and Mrs. Linda Rosa were also key witnesses in the defamation lawsuit initiated in Portugal by Angolan generals against the journalist Rafael Marques.

Ana Gomes referred to a previous letter she had written to the President of the European Commission requesting protection for the witnesses upon their return to their country of origin, foreseeing the possibility of reprisals for their public testimony regarding serious crimes perpetrated by Angolan authorities in the diamond exploration region of the Lundas in Angola.

The letter to President Barroso, copy of which was also forwarded to the Portuguese Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Rui Machete, requests "urgent measures, through the Delegation of the EU in Angola, in order to guarantee the protection of these witnesses and to ensure that the Angolan authorities stop their intimidation activities, underlining their responsibility in case the witnesses' physical and moral integrity will be affected."