Angola: Authorities must release arbitrarily detained activist General Nila

Reacting to Angolan authorities’ continued detention of Serrote Oliviera, also known as General Nila, the leader of the National Union for Total Revolution of Angola (UNTRA), Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa’s regional office Tigere Chagutah said;.

“250 days since General Nila’s shooting and subsequent arrest and detention, Angolan authorities have failed to present credible evidence against him while repeatedly obstructing his lawyers’ access to the case file, raising serious concerns about fair trial guarantees and due process.

“His case illustrates the Angolan authorities’ escalating repression of activists, punishing and silencing dissent with impunity.

250 days since General Nila’s shooting and subsequent arrest and detention, Angolan authorities have failed to present credible evidence against him while repeatedly obstructing his lawyers’ access to the case file, raising serious concerns about fair trial guarantees and due process.

Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for ESARO

“Pending his release, Amnesty International calls on authorities to ensure full respect for General Nila’s fair trial rights, in line with international standards, including promptly providing his lawyers with full access to all documents related to his case and continued detention.”

Background

In recent years, General Nila has been a prominent voice against injustice in Angola, organizing peaceful demonstrations and advocating for the release of arbitrarily detained activists. General Nila has been detained several times during peaceful demonstrations that had been notified to the authorities.

UNTRA was among the groups that organized protests in July 2025, in response to an increase in fuel prices and transportation costs.

General Nila was shot by security forces when he stopped to film/livestream the first day of a strike in Luanda while on his way to visit a relative in hospital. Since his arrest, his case has been characterized by a lack of transparency over the legal basis for his continued detention, undermining confidence in the justice process and raising concerns about his arbitrary detention.

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