ANGOLAN BOOK GROUP ARRESTS

Early day motion 260, tabled 7 July 2015 by Brendan O'Hara (Scottish National Party). Signed by 53 members.

That this House expresses its concern over the arrest and detention of 15 members of an Angolan Book Group, including author and journalist Domingos da Cruz and musician Luaty Beirao, in Luanda last month for reading books deemed so subversive by the Angolan government that its Attorney General described their reading as tantamount to crimes against the security of the state and as a crime of rebellion; has grave concern about the health of the detainees who are being held in solitary confinement with some currently on hunger strike; supports the demands of Angolan and other international human rights groups, including Amnesty International, for the immediate release of these 15 pro-democracy activists; and calls on the Angolan government to allow the basic human rights of free assembly, peaceful protest and freedom of speech.

Signatures by party: Scottish National Party 38, Labour 8, Social Democratic and Labour Party 3, Conservative 1, Labour/Co-operative 1, Liberal Democrat 1, Plaid Cymru 1.