Source: Zim steps up rights activists’ arrests – DailyNews Live
Bridget Mananavire 1 May 2017
HARARE – President Robert Mugabe’s government has escalated its clampdown
on human rights defenders, with police arresting more of the activists in
2016, compared to the previous year, a latest Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human
Rights (ZLHR) report has revealed.
In its recently released 2016 annual study, the rights lawyers said they
represented over a thousand people classified as human rights defenders
(HRDs) – more than double the 459 it offered legal assistance in 2015.
The human rights advocacy organisation voiced concern at what they
described as an apparent rise in the frequency and gravity of abuses.
“Representation of human rights defenders multiplied to unprecedented
levels between July and September 2016, with lawyers successfully
representing hundreds of individuals who were arrested around the country
on suspicion of having participated in escalating nationwide protests,”
ZLHR chairperson Beatrice Mtetwa said in the report.
Last year, the country was rocked by unprecedented anti-Mugabe protests,
as the 93-year-old leader’s opponents were emboldened by rising public
anger over economic hardships, including severe cash shortages, high
unemployment, delays in payment of public workers and deepening grinding
poverty.
“As individuals and communities became more vocal in calling for political
and economic reforms, State actors largely maintained and entrenched their
control, leading to an increase in repression and violations and thus a
greater demand for our legal services,” the report said.
Dozens of journalists, bloggers and activists have been arrested in the
past few months, and lawyers defending such figures have also been
targeted.
But ZLHR’s team of lawyers continued to intervene, offering legal support
to many beneficiaries from different social and political backgrounds, who
often exhibited great courage in defending the Constitution and asserting
and demanding respect for their rights and fundamental freedoms.
The government has failed to investigate widespread, systemic and
systematic violations of human rights.
“Together with constrained human resources, this inevitably led to longer
working hours and a tightening of purse strings; however, this did not
deter our team, which remained enthusiastic, committed and able to support
individuals and communities who became increasingly active against bad
governance practices and louder in calling for sweeping reforms that would
contribute to the democratisation of the country.”
Out of 1 663 people assisted by ZLHR, 1 031 – 63 percent of the
beneficiaries – benefited from emergency and follow-up service under
protection of HRDs while 632 benefited from public interest litigation,
according to the annual report.
At least 860 males and 171 females were represented by lawyers following
their arrest, detention and or prosecution under the protection of HRDs
priority area while rural communities increasingly benefited from public
interest litigation efforts.
Torture by blunt instruments, including truncheons, and rapes and electric
shocks have been reported in Zimbabwe.
Out of the 487 cases, 206 were HRDs and 281 were public interest
litigation.
“Most HRDs cases were in Harare province with a total of 122 cases
benefiting 621 people representing 60 percent, the majority of whom were
targeted following protests.”
During the previous year, 2015, the organisation had taken up 121 cases
benefitting a total of 459 HRDs.
At least 46 civil society representatives targeted during the course of
their work were provided with legal support, with 76 percent of HRDs that
were assisted charged with violating the Criminal Law (Codification and
Reform) Act.
The rights lawyers said 18 percent of the HRDs were released without
charge. Other laws applied against the minority of HRDs included the
Consequential (Gazetted Lands) Act, and the Protected Places Act, the ZLHR
reported.
The organisation also paid tribute to its outgoing executive director,
Irene Petras.
“We cannot quantify her contribution to the organisation that spans over a
dozen years. She exhibited great courage, dedication and commitment to the
cause of human rights. Her legacy will be remembered for generations to
come.”
COMMENTS