Manuel David Mendes (born 6 May 1962 in Cazenga,

Luanda Province Luanda is a province of Angola. It covers an area of 18,835 km2, and had a population of 6,945,386 at the Census of 16 May 2014. The latest official estimate (for 2019) is 8,247,688.Instituto Nacional de Estatístiica, República de Angola. The ...

Portuguese Angola Portuguese Angola refers to Angola during the historic period when it was a territory under Portuguese rule in southwestern Africa. In the same context, it was known until 1951 as Portuguese West Africa (officially the State of West Africa). I ...

) is an

Angola , national_anthem = " Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordina ...

n lawyer,

human rights activist A human rights defender or human rights activist is a person who, individually or with others, acts to promote or protect human rights. They can be journalists, environmentalists, whistleblowers, trade unionists, lawyers, teachers, housing cam ...

and

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking ...

. He is one of the best-known persons of the Angolan civil society, and is also known as "advocate of the poor" because of his opposition to government corruption. Among other things, Mendes directs the Angolan

human rights Human rights are moral principles or normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for certain standards of hu ...

NGO A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...

''Mãos Livres'' (Free Hands) and due to this is sued by the Angolan government in various corruption cases. For his work and contribution to the Angolan civil society he received the ''Martin Luther King Award'' from the US Embassy in

Luanda Luanda () is the Capital (political), capital and largest city in Angola. It is Angola's primary port, and its major Angola#Economy, industrial, Angola#Culture, cultural and Angola#Demographics, urban centre. Located on Angola's northern Atl ...

. Mendes is married and has seven children.

References

External links

Officiel websitet of NGO ''Mãos Livres''

Angolan sect deaths: “It was a real massacre by the police”
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mendes, David 20th-century jurists 21st-century jurists Angolan human rights activists 1962 births Living people Angolan lawyers Angolan politicians