Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF), in a letter to Filipe Nyusi, President of Mozambique has expressed concern over the detention of a journalist along with a researcher and driver.

PPF Secretary General Owais Aslam Ali has denounced the detention of journalist and termed it an act to threaten journalists from investigating any story. PPF called on the authorities to stop targeting journalists and media professional and allow them to freely fulfill their journalistic responsibilities.

According to Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), the Mozambican Defence Armed Forces (FADM) arrested Estacio Valoi of the Zambeze daily newspaper along with David Matsinhe, researcher of Amnesty International and a driver. They were detained without any charges for two days and were later released on the morning of December 19.

All three were arrested on December 17 in Palma when they were coming back from investigating a story in Chitolo, Mocímboa da Praia in Mozambique.

MISA further reported that the journalist had acquired the permission and approval for investigating the story he was doing at the time of his arrest. The government and FADM has yet not given any reason for the arrest.