“The Death Knell for Freedom of the Press in Angola”, 8 February 2017

January 23, 2017...the day on which freedom of the press died...[:]...Angola’s new media legislation was published –...stringent controls on journalists, the internet, the press, radio and television broadcasting...[They]...have been rushed into being six months ahead of crucial presidential and parliamentary elections this year and it is feared their purpose is to ensure that the only information allowed to reach the Angolan public, toes the ruling-MPLA’s party line...[T]he[y]...are so general and ambiguous that their interpretation depends on case-by-case ruling by the minister, a judge or similar. Freedom of the Press henceforth will depend on the individual whim of a party-political adjudicator...[E]xample: Article 10 of Law 1/2017...: “All social communication media have the responsibility of assuring citizens’ rights to inform and be informed in accordance with the public interest.”...Article 11...: the public interest is whatever the organs of power define it to be...The new law creates a Regulatory Body with powers...to revoke, annul or suspend those websites whose content fails to obey the rigorous criteria of “good journalism”... The law confers police-like powers on the Regulatory Body to pursue investigations in any place where (social) media activity may take place...