Case of Rafael Marques de Morais1 CASE ANALYSIS Case Summary and Outcome Journalist Rafael Marques de Morais published a book about human rights violations committed in Angola’s diamond fields. Several generals implicated in the book filed a complaint against Marques de Morais for criminal defamation and libel. The Angolan court sentenced him to six months in prison, suspended for two years on the condition that he commits no crime. Global FoE could not identify official legal and government records on the case and information on the case was derived from secondary sources. Global FoE notes that media outlets may not provide complete information about this case. Additional information regarding legal matters will be updated as an official source becomes available. Facts Rafael Marques de Morais is an Angolan investigative journalist and human rights advocate who wrote the book Blood Diamonds: Corruption and Torture in Angola. The book described the human rights abuses and violations committed by security guards and soldiers in the diamond fields of the Lundas region. The book also “argued that seven generals who co-own a private security company involved in many of the abuses were criminally responsible.” [1] Consequently, Marques de Morais filed a criminal complaint against nine Angolan generals for crimes against humanity. The Attorney General quickly dismissed the complaint. Eight of the nine generals filed complaints in Portugal, where the book was published, against Marques de Morais, alleging criminal defamation. The lawsuit was dismissed in Portugal for lack of evidence. Subsequently, the generals filed a second complaint in Angola. Marques de Morais was then charged under article 245 of the Angolan Penal Code “with eight counts of ‘slanderous denunciation.’” [2] He was later charged with an additional fifteen charges of criminal defamation under the Angolan Penal Code. Marques de Morais and the generals who filed the criminal complaint reached a settlement in which Marques de Morais would not republish the book and would make a statement before the court. In turn, the generals agreed that they would dismiss the criminal complaint. Marques de Morais complied with the settlement and stated before the court 1 Adapted from Columbia University 'Global Freedom of Expression' https://globalfreedomofexpression.columbia.edu/cases/case-of-rafael-marques-de-morais/