Supreme Court prohibits live broadcast of Venâncio Mondlane's trial

Decision by the Criminal Section generates disagreement among legal experts; civil society pushes for full coverage.

The Criminal Section of the Supreme Court decided to reject Venâncio Mondlane's request for live television and radio broadcast of his trial, scheduled for November 17th. The decision, announced last Monday by the Supreme Court spokesperson, Pedro Sinai Nhatitima, is based on three pillars: protecting witnesses, avoiding public pressure on judges, and ensuring the fairness of the process.

In addition to prohibiting live broadcasts, the Supreme Court also banned the recording of images and audio, as well as the entry of electronic equipment into the courtroom.

According to Nhatitima, one of the primary objectives of the measure is to prevent the intimidation and conditioning of witnesses. "Since they are being televised and heard on the radio, there is a risk of them being threatened, and we must protect our witnesses," the spokesperson argued.

Nhatitima also invoked a second ground: the contamination of testimonial evidence. "While a particular witness is being heard, there are other witnesses who will be heard during the course of the proceedings, and these witnesses, having the possibility of following the trial live, will know in advance what witness A is saying, and this may influence the testimony that he will give at another time."

Despite the initial ban, the court made an exception, allowing the broadcast of three specific moments: the introductory phase, the defense, and the sentencing. Even so, civil society continues to press for full broadcast, arguing that it sees no risk in complete coverage of the trial.

Lawyers divided

 The decision did not reach a consensus among legal experts, who are divided between those who defend the need to protect the process and those who consider it an excessive restriction on the principle of public access to justice.

The debate is expected to intensify as the trial date approaches, scheduled for November 17th.