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Zim human rights record still tainted — Amnesty

Politics
A global human rights organisation, Amnesty International, says Zimbabwe has celebrated 31 years of independence at a time when the government is failing to address allegations of human rights violations and respect for human rights guaranteed in the country’s Constitution. In his independence message on Monday, President Robert Mugabe however urged Zimbabweans to embrace peace […]

A global human rights organisation, Amnesty International, says Zimbabwe has celebrated 31 years of independence at a time when the government is failing to address allegations of human rights violations and respect for human rights guaranteed in the country’s Constitution.

In his independence message on Monday, President Robert Mugabe however urged Zimbabweans to embrace peace and said perpetrators of violence should be brought to book. Amnesty International said despite the formation of the Government of National Unity (GNU) in 2009, human rights violations have allegedly continued unabated.

“Unjustifiable restrictions of the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly are undermining the stability brought about by the setting up of the GNU,” the organisation said in a statement released on Zimbabwe’s Independence Day.

The organisation cited the examples of six activists, Munyaradzi Gwisai, Hopewell Gumbo, Antonater Choto, Welcome Zimuto, Eddson Chakuma and Tatenda Mombeyarara, who are facing treason charges after organising a public lecture to discuss events in Egypt and the Middle East. If convicted they face the death penalty. The six were part of a group of 45 activists arrested on February 19 2011.

The other 39 were acquitted after a magistrate in Harare dismissed the charges against them.

“A political culture where human rights are trampled upon in pursuit of partisan political interests has given rise to fear. People living in rural areas in particular remain in fear of the security forces because of their involvement in the 2008 election violence and continuing failure to hold perpetrators to account,” Amnesty International said.

“State-sponsored violence and malicious prosecutions of perceived opponents of President Robert Mugabe remain a major concern.”

On March 31, the Sadc Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, in a communiqué following its summit in Zambia, called for “an immediate end to violence, intimidation, hate speech, harassment, and any other form of action that contradicts the letter and spirit of the Global Political Agreement (GPA)”.

“The sentiments expressed in the communiqué are undoubtedly a progressive step. In the past the silence of regional leaders on human rights violations in Zimbabwe has encouraged perpetrators to carry on committing violations with impunity, but a question remains as to whether action on implementation of the GPA will follow words,” the human rights watchdog said.