More than 160 people arrested since mid-June before upcoming SADC summit in Harare
Evidence of torture or other ill-treatment
“Sets a dangerous tone for the bloc’s commitment to human rights” – Idriss Ali Nassah
Zimbabwean authorities must end their crackdown against opposition and civil society members ahead of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit scheduled for 17 August 2024 in Harare, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch said today.
- Authorities must immediately and unconditionally release everyone arrested for exercising their rights.
- Further, SADC must urgently demand an end to this assault on human rights as it prepares to hand the bloc’s leadership to Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
A wide-ranging crackdown
- The current crackdown began on 16 June, when police raided the home of the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) party leader, Jameson Timba, during a private gathering and arrested 78 people.
- The authorities charged the group with “gathering with intent to promote public violence and disorderly conduct” and held them for more than two days without bringing them before a court, in violation of Zimbabwean law.
- On 24 June, police arrested 44 members of the Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU), including its president, Emmanuel Sitima, and forced them to pay fines for “disorderly conduct” before releasing them.
The Zimbabwe authorities’ intensified crackdown and the dismantling of fundamental freedoms are directly linked to the government’s hosting of the SADC summit in Harare.
“It sets a dangerous tone for the bloc’s commitment to human rights under the upcoming chairmanship of Zimbabwe President Mnangagwa,” said Idriss Ali Nassah, senior Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch.
Summary:
Zimbabwean authorities must halt their crackdown on dissenters before the SADC summit in Harare to uphold human rights principles and ensure justice for all detainees. The situation calls for immediate action from both local authorities and international organizations to prevent further violations.
Source: www.amnesty.org