Luaty Beirão

Four of the 16 arrested activists in the courtroom (Luaty Beirão in the center of the picture) on November 16, 2015

Henrique Luaty da Silva Beirão (born November 19, 1981 in Luanda , Angola ), also known under the stage names "Ikonoklasta", "Brigadeiro Mata Frakus" and "Nkwa Kobanza", is an Angolan - Portuguese hip-hop musician and human rights activist .

Life

education

Luaty da Silva Beirão grew up as the son of a medium-sized MPLA- loyal family, who was already the third generation to live in Angola. His father - from the Huambo people -, João Beirão, was a high functionary within the MPLA and later chairman of the party foundation Fundação José Eduardo dos Santos (FESA). Luaty Beirão completed his school education in Portugal. Beirão studied his first Bachelor of Science in Plymouth and his second Bachelor of Arts in economics in France.

Politicization and Protest

Beirão became politicized while studying abroad. He himself cites the great London demonstration in February 2003 against the Iraq war as the starting point. After completing his studies, Beirão returned to Angola and devoted himself mainly to music.

In 2011, an Angolan protest movement against the regime under José Eduardo dos Santos emerged . The movement was crushed and numerous opposition members arrested. Beirão continued his resistance work and tried to raise awareness of the human rights situation in the South African country both within Angola and Portugal. He complained of harassment on the part of the Angolan governments, for example when crossing borders.

Arrested in 2015 and hunger strike

Another wave of arrests took place in June 2015. Among others, 15 teenagers and young adults, including Beirão, were initially arrested without explanation. This had in a small circle the work Ferramentas para destruir o ditador e evitar nova ditadura - Filosofia política da libertação para Angola (in English: Tools to destroy the dictatorship and to prevent a new one - Political Liberation Philosophy for Angola) by Domingos Cruz discussed. The work is based on From dictatorship to democracy. A Guide to the Liberation by Gene Sharp . In September 2015, the public prosecutor brought an action against a planned coup. To protest, the prisoners went on a hunger strike. While most gave up after three weeks, Beirão continued to refuse to eat. He has been in the São Paulo Prison Hospital since then.

Numerous human rights organizations in and outside Angola protested against his arrest, especially in Lisbon. Luaty Beirão is now considered a symbol of the Angolan (civil society) opposition. Numerous Portuguese and other international media picked up the protest. Although a Portuguese ambassador, João da Câmara, visited Beirão in prison, the Portuguese Foreign Minister Rui Machete ( PSD ) avoided criticizing the Angolan government and did not endanger the fragile relations between Portugal and Angola. The Angolan government also forbade any interference in internal affairs. The government-loyal daily Jornal de Angola described the diplomat's visit as part of an "anti-Angolan crusade".

Private

Luaty Beirão is married and has children.

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b Angola: ENTREVISTA COM LUATY BEIRÃO. In: Maka Angola. July 27, 2012, Retrieved October 18, 2015 (Portuguese).
↑ Aoaní D'Alva: "recuso comparar-me aos sistematicamente piores". In: Novo Jornal. May 3, 2013, Retrieved October 18, 2015 (Portuguese).
↑ Cantor angolano salvo pela PJ de cilada do regime. In: Correio da Manhã. June 19, 2012, Retrieved October 18, 2015 (Portuguese).
↑ Joana Gorjão Henriques, Ricardo Rezende, Frederico Batista: “Basta. Têm de se ir embora. É preciso uma ruptura em Angola ”. In: Público. October 14, 2015, accessed October 18, 2015 (Portuguese).
^ ^A ^b António Cascais: Hunger strike: Luaty Beirão's condition is deteriorating. Deutsche Welle, accessed on October 18, 2015 .
^ Tilo Wagner: Hunger strike with consequences. Deutschlandfunk, October 21, 2015, accessed on October 26, 2015 .
↑ Manuel de Almeida / LUSA: Visita a Luaty Beirão abre "precedente grave" com Portugal. In: Diário de Notícias. October 25, 2015. Retrieved October 26, 2015 (Portuguese).

personal data
SURNAME	Beirão, Luaty
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Silva Beirão, Henrique Luaty da (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Angolan-Portuguese hip hop musician and human rights activist
DATE OF BIRTH	19th November 1981
PLACE OF BIRTH	Luanda , Angola

[:0-1] Angola: ENTREVISTA COM LUATY BEIRÃO. In: Maka Angola. July 27, 2012, Retrieved October 18, 2015 (Portuguese).

[2] Aoaní D'Alva: "recuso comparar-me aos sistematicamente piores". In: Novo Jornal. May 3, 2013, Retrieved October 18, 2015 (Portuguese).

[3] Cantor angolano salvo pela PJ de cilada do regime. In: Correio da Manhã. June 19, 2012, Retrieved October 18, 2015 (Portuguese).

[4] Joana Gorjão Henriques, Ricardo Rezende, Frederico Batista: “Basta. Têm de se ir embora. É preciso uma ruptura em Angola ”. In: Público. October 14, 2015, accessed October 18, 2015 (Portuguese).

[:1-5] A ^b António Cascais: Hunger strike: Luaty Beirão's condition is deteriorating. Deutsche Welle, accessed on October 18, 2015 .

[6] Tilo Wagner: Hunger strike with consequences. Deutschlandfunk, October 21, 2015, accessed on October 26, 2015 .

[7] Manuel de Almeida / LUSA: Visita a Luaty Beirão abre "precedente grave" com Portugal. In: Diário de Notícias. October 25, 2015. Retrieved October 26, 2015 (Portuguese).