Comunicado de Imprensa da Comissão Internacional de Juristas

INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION OF JURISTS
COMMISSION INTERNATIONALE DE JURISTES - COMISION INTERNACIONAL DE JURISTAS
INTERNATIONALE JURISTEN - KOMMISSION

6, RUE DU MONT-DE-SION, GENREVA, SWITZERLAND - TELEPHONE 25 53 00
CABLE ADDRESS INTERJURISTS  

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, July 27, 1960

Press Release

The international Commission of Jurists sent to-day a cable to the Prime Minister of Portugal requesting his personal intervention to enable Doctor Manuel Juan de Palma Carlos, a distinguished Portuguese lawyer, to leave Lisbon for Luanda, Angola, to defende persons accused of distributing a seditious publication. The trial began on July 25. Dr. Palma Carlos was prevented from leaving Lisbon Airport on Saturday, July 23, by the PIDE, a special police force under the personal authority of the Prime Minister of Portugal. He was given no reason for this action. A copy of the cable has been sent to the president of the Bar Association of Lisbon. The text of the cable to the Prime Minister is:

THE INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION OF JURISTS, A NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATION REPRESNETING THOUSANDS OF JUDGES, LAWYERS AND TEACHERS OF LAW IN COUNTRIES THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, HAS LEARNED THAT THE AUTHORITIES OF YOUR EXCELLENCY’S GOVERNMENT HAVE PREVENTED DOCTOR MANUEL JUAN DA PALMA CARLOS FROM GOING TO LUANDA, ANGOLA. HE IS ONE OF THE LEADING COUNSEL OF THE TEAM DEFENDING FIFTY-SEVEN PERSONS ACCUSED OF SEDITION. IF DOCTOR DA PALMA CARLOS IS NOT ALLOWED TO ATTEND THE TRIAL THE ACCUSED WILL BE DENIED THE RIGHT TO COUNSEL OF THEIR OWN CHOICE. IN CONSIDERATION OF THE CONCLUSIONS ON CRIMINAL LAW AND PROCEDURE APPROVED BY THE INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF JURISTS HELD IN NEW DELHI IN JANUARY 1959 AND THE PRINCIPLES OF THE RIGHTS OF THE DEFENCE AS GUARENTEED BY ARTICLE 8 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF PORTUGAL AND SIMILAR RIGHTS TO FREE CHOICE OF COUNSEL GRANTED IN MOST COUNTRIES, THE INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION OF JURISTS EXPRESSES GRAVE CONCERN OVER THIS INTERFERENCE WITH THE RIGHTS OF THE ACCUSED AND REQUESTS YOUR EXELLENCY TO INTERVENE WITH THE PROPER AUTHORITIES TO PERMIT DOCTOR DA PALMA CARLOS TO SERVE THE ACCUSED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THESE RIGHTS. THE INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION OF JURISTS HAS ALSO REQUESTED AN OBSERVER OF BRAZILIAN NATIONALITY TO APPLY IN BRAZIL FOR A VISA TO ATTEND THE TRIALS ON BEHALF OF THE COMMISSION.

JEAN-FLAVIEN LALIVE
SECRETARY-GENERAL

At the same time a cable was dispatched to the Governor-General of Angola, requesting the adjournment of the trial until the arrival of Doctor da Palma Carlos, the advocate chosen for the defence. This cable reads:

THE INTERNATIONAL COMMSSION OF JURISTS, A NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATION REPRESENTING THOUSANDS OF JUDGES, LAWYERS AND TEACHERS OF LAW IN COUNTRIES THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, HAS TODAY CABLED A REQUEST TO HIS EXCELLENCY THE PRIME MINISTER OF PORTUGAL FOR HIS PERSONAL INTERVENTION WITH THE PROPER AUTHORITIES WHO ARE PREVENTING DOCTOR MANUEL JUAN DA PALMA CARLOS FROM GOING TO LUANDA, ANGOLA, TO REPRESENT SOME OF THE FIFTY SEVEN ACCUSED AT PRESENT ON TRIAL FOR SEDITION AND HAS EXPRESSED ITS GRAVE CONCERN TO HIM OVER THE INTERFERENCE WITH THE RIGHT OF THE ACCUSED TO THE SERVICES OF COUNSEL OF THEIR OWN CHOICE. THE INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION EARNESTLY REQUESTS POSTPONEMENT OF THE TRIAL PENDING THE ARRIVAL OF A LEADER OF THE TEAM OF DEFENCE LAWYERS.

JEAN-FLAVIEN LALIVE
SECRETARY-GENERAL

The INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION OF JURISTS is a non-governmental and non-political organisation which has Consultative Status, Category B, with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. It draws its support from judges, law teachers, practitioners of law and other members of the legal community and their associations. Its main objective is - through practical action - to clarify, promote and defend the Rule of Law, to strengthen the legal procedures and institutions associated therewith in those countries where the Rule of Law is already established and to obtain its acceptance wherever it is denied. Among its current undertakings is the preparation of a report on South Africa. The report of its Legal Inquiry Committee on Tibet will be published in the very near future.