High-profile Angolan journalist acquitted

One of Angola's most well-known journalists Rafael Marques de Moraies and editor Mariano Bras Lourenço have been acquitted by a court in the capital, Luanda.

Marques de Morais, who runs the anti-corruption website Maka Angola, and Mariano Bras Lourenço, who is the editor of the weekly newspaper O Crime, were charged on 21 June 2017 for publishing an article alleging illegal land acquisition involving former Attorney General João Maria de Sousa.

A verdict and sentencing were expected to be read out today.

A Human Rights Watch official has tweeted a picture of the two journalists and comments from the presiding judge saying: "We can't punish messengers of bad news."