A source for the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), an independent organisation, announced the court decision on the Internet, adding that efforts are being made to secure Abubacar’s release it on bail.
The journalist, who works for a community radio station, Nacedje, and the online portal Zitamar News, was detained on 5 January in the village of Maate, in Cabo Delgado province, when photographing families who had fled the region for fear of armed attacks.
He was held at a military base in Mueda before last Monday being transferred to a police station and then brought before a judge, on suspicion of “public instigation [of disorder] with recourse to computer means,” said the source.
Local and foreign civil society organisations and bodies campaigning for media freedom have demanded the release of Abubacar, taking the view that his detention was illegal and an attempt to intimidate a free press.
In statements on Friday, Human Rights Watch (HRW) researcher Zenaida Machado said it was “unacceptable” for a journalist to be detained by police and handed over to the military – “who kept him hidden for 12 days” without any explanation.
“The security services violated the Constitution of the Republic and the basic rights of the citizen, who was arrested without any judicial warrant” as he photographed members of the public, Machado said.
On Thursday, Mozambique Higher Council of the Media (CSCS) had demanded the journalist’s release, repudiating the postures of the police and military forces.
This is the second case of journalists being detained in the province in the last two months.
In December, three foreign journalists and one Mozambican were detained for 48 hours by the army as they were on their way to Palma district, in the same province, even though they were accredited by the authorities to work in the area.
Districts in Cabo Delgado, in the far northeast of the country, some 2,000 kilometers from the capital, have been the target of attacks by unknown groups since October 2017.
According to official numbers, some 100 people, including residents, alleged attacker and members of the security forces, have died since the wave of violence began.
