Journalist Arlindo Chissale accuses the police authorities in Cabo Delgado of political persecution because he belongs to an opposition party, Frelimo, which has been in power since 1975.

The freelance journalist was arrested in Balama last week by the Police of the Republic of Mozambique (PRM) on charges of spying for terrorist groups currently operating in northern Mozambique.

The journalist is currently on provisional release, granted by the Balama District Court on Friday (4).

In an interview with DW, the journalist said that he was waiting for the Governor of the province at a grazing house, while he took some photos of the surroundings. The owner of the establishment found everything strange and rushed to call the authorities, claiming that he was looking at a strange individual taking photographs.

"In the searches, everything was illegal, they took my phones, they did all kinds of searches for a long time, but only now has the court been able to understand that it was illegal," said Chissale.

He said it was the first time he had been to Balama and that he was doing "active political" rather than journalistic work there. A member of the Renamo party, Chissale said he was looking to reinforce the party's strength, since Balama could become a municipal town.

"So the police were very worn down by the fact that it was an opposition party and even more so because it was a journalist. There was a lot of misrepresentation. I've always been a journalist and I had my credential in my briefcase. We even went back with the police to get it from the pension. They checked, but they didn't like the presence of the journalist and they also didn't like the fact that he had mentioned the party I had come here to push for."

In the interviewHe talks about the humanitarian conditions and "invisible" human rights he experienced and verified during his time in detention.