Tribunal Militar Revolucionário, 1979-1989

Dossier MZ-0224

The Tribunal Militar Revolucionário (TMR or Revolutionary Military Court) was an interim structure established on 29 March 1979 by Decreto-Lei 3/79 of the Comissão Permanente of the Assembleia Popular. On 1 April 1979, the Ministério de Defesa announced the appointment of Joaquim João Munhepe as judge-president, and Pedro Juma, José António Cauma, Ismael Lúcio Mangeira and Lucas Langa – all senior military officers – as judges. New panels of judges were appointed at least twice, in March 1981 and September 1982. The main function of the TMR was to try cases of offences against the security of the state, and it had the power to pass the death sentence. Such sentences were often reported as having been carried out by firing squad within five days of being handed down.

For ten years, the TMR was the main juridical instrument of the Mozambican state and Frelimo in the struggle against the armed rebellion of Renamo. Captured Renamo fighters were regularly sentenced to death or to long terms of imprisonment, as we see below, and such sentences were widely publicised in the local press, presumably pour encourager les autres.

On 16 March 1989, after nearly ten years of activity, the dissolution of the TMR was announced, and its caseload began to be transferred to provincial Tribunais Populares or People's Courts. These courts had begun to function fully in late 1988. The change also meant that for the first time accused persons had access to an appeal process.

Decoration

◊ 29 March 1979
Lei no. 3/79: institui um Tribunal Militar Revolucionário com sede na capital do País e jurisdição em todo o território nacional. In: Principal legislação promulgada pelo Governo da República Popular de Moçambique, vol.6 (Maputo: Imprensa Nacional, 1979), p.70-74. The full text of the law setting up the TMR. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 1 Mb.

◊ 2 April 1979
New military tribunal and executions in Mozambique. Summary of World Broadcasts [London], 2 April 1979. Transcripts of Mozambican radio reports on the setting up of the Tribunal Militar Revolutionário under Law 3/79. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 229 kb.

◊ 8 April 1979
Dez assassinos do nosso povo condenados à morte e executados: comunicados do Ministério da Defesa Nacional e do Tribunal Militar Revolucionário. Tempo [Maputo], no.443, 8 April 1979, p.3-5. Includes mug-shots of the condemned men. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 270 kb.

◊ 8 April 1979
Execução já era uma decisão do povo. Tempo [Maputo], no.443, 8 April 1979, p.6. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 242 kb.

◊ 8 April 1979
Quem são os assassinos do povo. Tempo [Maputo], no.443, 8 April 1979, p.7. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 191 kb.

◊ 15 April 1979
Watu kumi wahukumiwa kifo Msumbiji [Kiswahili: Ten people sentenced to death in Mozambique]. Mzalendo [Dar es Salaam], 15 April 1979. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 23 kb.

◊ 22 April 1979
Dez mercenários condenados à morte e executados: comunicados do Ministério da Defesa e do Tribunal Militar Revolucionário . Tempo [Maputo], no.445, 22 April 1979, p.5-7. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 223 kb.

◊ 20 May 1979
Tribunal Militar Revolucionário julga e condena traidores e sabotadores: pena de morte para os traidores, pena de prisão para os sabotadores. Tempo [Maputo], no.449, 20 May 1979, p.8-9. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 236 kb.

◊ 24 May 1979
Executados os três traidores condenados à morte pelo TMR: comunicado do Ministério da Defesa Nacional. Notícias [Maputo], 24 May 1979. Communiqué dated 23 May 1979. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 57 kb.

◊ 22 August 1979
Tribunal Militar Revolucionário condena inimigos do povo: oito criminosos sentenciados à morte por fuzilamento. Notícias [Maputo], 22 August 1979. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 243 kb.

◊ 26 August 1979
Inimigos do povo condenados no Tribunal Militar Revolucionário: pena de morte por fuzilamento para oito dos onze criminosos. Tempo [Maputo], no.463, 26 August 1979, p.3. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 169 kb.

◊ 2 September 1979
Contra-revolucionários executados por fuzilamento. Tempo [Maputo], no.464, 2 September 1979, p.5. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 37 kb.

◊ 7 December 1979
Death sentences in Mozambique. Washington Post [Washington DC], 7 December 1979. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 26 kb.

◊ 16 December 1979
Agentes do inimigo condenados pelo Tribunal Militar Revolucionário. Tempo [Maputo], no.479, 16 December 1979, p.6-9. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 313 kb.

◊ 17 October 1980
Comunicado do Tribunal Militar Revolucionário: sentenciados seis elementos por crimes de espionagem, sabotagem e mercenarismo, três condenações à pena de morte. Notícias [Maputo], 17 October 1980. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 211 kb.

◊ 17 October 1980
Tribunal Militar Revolucionário sentencia seis criminosos: três condenações à morte. Notícias [Maputo], 17 October 1980. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 201 kb.

◊ 26 October 1980
Tribunal Militar Revolucionário sentencia seis criminosos: três condenações à morte. Tempo [Maputo], no.524, 26 October 1980, p.2-3. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 71 kb.

◊ 16 February 1981
Comunicado do Tribunal Militar Revolucionário. Notícias [Maputo], 16 February 1981, p.3-4. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 895 kb.

◊ 22 February 1981
TMR condena 32 contra-revolucionários: quatro réus com pena de morte. Tempo [Maputo], no.541, 22 February 1981, p.24-25. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 384 kb.

◊ 11 March 1981
Nomeados juízes para o TMR. Notícias [Maputo], 11 March 1981. The nominated judges are Col. João Aleixo Malunga, Col. Lagos Lidimo, Col. Domingos Fondo and Lt.-Col. Cornélio Focas. The first two will replace José António Chaúma and Ismael Mussá Mangueira. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 41 kb.

◊ 5 July 1981
Comunicado do Tribunal Militar Revolucionário. Notícias [Maputo], 5 July 1981. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 267 kb.

◊ 5 July 1981
Implicado no ataque à Matola: espião sul-africano condenado à morte. Notícias [Maputo], 5 July 1981. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 72 kb.

◊ 12 July 1981
TMR condena contra-revolucionários: espião a soldo do regime sul-africano entre os sentenciados à pena capital. Tempo [Maputo], no.561, 12 July 1981, p.6-7. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 220 kb.

◊ 28 September 1981
Cinco condenações à morte do Tribunal Revolucionário. Notícias [Maputo], 28 September 1981. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 76 kb.

◊ 28 September 1981
Comunicado do Tribunal Militar Revolucionário. Notícias [Maputo], 28 September 1981, p.5. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 171 kb.

◊ 18 June 1982
Comunicado do Tribunal Militar Revolucionário. Notícias [Maputo], 18 June 1982, p.7. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 161 kb.

◊ 18 June 1982
Sete bandidos condenados à morte. Notícias [Maputo], 18 June 1982. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 132 kb.

◊ 27 June 1982
Fernando Manuel. TMR: contra-revolucionários condenados à morte. Tempo [Maputo], no.611, 27 June 1982, p.48. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 215 kb.

◊ 9 July 1982
Executados sete condenados à morte. Notícias [Maputo], 9 July 1982. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 41 kb.

◊ 9 September 1982
Novo júri para Tribunal Militar Revolucionário. Notícias [Maputo], 9 September 1982. The new Judge-President is Maj.-Gen. João Américo Mpfumo, the deputy is Maj.-Gen. Pedro Gaivão Odallah; judges are Col. Rafael Rohomodja, Col. João Aleixo Malunga and Lt.-Col. Cornélio Focas. Maj. Ernesto Rosário Ndupa is a suplente. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 34 kb.

◊ 30 September 1982
Comunicado do TMR: duas condenações à pena capital. Notícias [Maputo], 30 September 1982. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 66 kb.

◊ 30 September 1982
Condenações contra 27 criminosos: comunicado do Tribunal Militar Revolucionário. Notícias [Maputo], 30 September 1982. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 199 kb.

◊ 1 October 1982
Joseph Hanlon. Maputo rebels gaoled. Guardian [London], 1 October 1982. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 34 kb.

◊ 8 October 1982
Executados bandidos sentenciados à pena capital. Notícias [Maputo], 8 October 1982. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 55 kb.

◊ 10 October 1982
TMR julga e condena 27 criminosos: pena de morte para dois bandidos. Tempo [Maputo], no.626, 10 October 1982, p.6-7. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 140 kb.

◊ 23 February 1983
Comunicado do Tribunal Militar Revolucionário. Notícias [Maputo], 23 February 1983, p.3, 6.

◊ 23 February 1983
Tribunal Militar Revolucionário emite comunicado: cinco réus condenados à morte, julgadas 40 pessoas. Notícias [Maputo], 23 February 1983. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 194 kb.

◊ 2 March 1983
Executados cinco réus do TMR. Notícias [Maputo], 2 March 1983. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 27 kb.

◊ 4 April 1983
Condenados à morte seis bandidos: penas de cadeia e chicotadas para 11 réus. Notícias [Maputo], 4 April 1983. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 216 kb.

◊ 4 April 1983
Seis bandidos condenados à morte: cadeia e chicotadas para outros 11 réus. Notícias [Maputo], 4 April 1983. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 112 kb.

◊ 10 April 1983
TMR: candongueiros e bandidos condenados à morte. Tempo [Maputo], no.652, 10 April 1983, p.5-6. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 119 kb.

◊ 11 April 1983
Six executed. Rand Daily Mail [Johannesburg], 11 April 1983. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 43 kb.

◊ 17 September 1985
Para julgamento, assaltantes de comboio vão ao Tribunal Militar. Notícias [Maputo], 17 September 1985. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 84 kb.

◊ 25 February 1986
MNR bandits to die. Herald [Harare], 25 February 1986. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 49 kb.

◊ 25 February 1986
TMR condena: pena de morte para quatro bandidos armados, outros sete réus com penas de 8 a 18 anos de prisão. Notícias [Maputo], 25 February 1986. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 84 kb.

◊ 9 March 1986
Pena de morte para quatro bandidos armados. Tempo [Maputo], no.804, 9 March 1986, p.5. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 105 kb.

◊ 18 May 1986
Comunicado do TMR. Domingo [Maputo], 18 May 1986. Poor quality reproduction. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 131 kb.

◊ 18 May 1986
Death and prison sentences for MNR members in Mozambique. Radio broadcasts on 18 May 1986, reported in the Summary of World Broadcasts [London]. Includes reportage on the case of the Kenyan citizen Peter Nguila Che. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 79 kb.

◊ 16 March 1989
Mozambique: revolutionary court dissolved. Radio broadcast on 16 March 1989 reported in the Summary of World Broadcasts [London]. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 25 kb.

◊ 3 April 1989
Suppression du Tribunal Militaire Révolutionnaire. Marchés Tropicaux et Méditerranéens [Paris], 3 April 1989. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 42 kb.

◊ 4 April 1989
Australian among 17 prisoners in Mozambican sentence review. Mozambican radio broadcast of 4 April 1989, reported in the Summary of World Broadcasts [London]. In the wake of the dissolution of the TMR, some sentences were reviewed, including that of Ian Grey. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 29 kb.

◊ 25 June 1989
Para julgamento nos tribunais populares, remetidos à cidade sete casos do ex-TMR: entre eles figuram os que envolvem fraudes bancárias em Maputo e Nampula. Domingo [Maputo], 25 June 1989, p.2. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 179 kb.

◊ July 1989
Security cases to provincial courts. MozambiqueFile [Maputo], July 1989, p.18. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 57 kb.