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This article participates on the following special index pages:
Index of articles on the mistreatment of the legal profession in Zimbabwe
Support
for the attempted March of 8 May 2007 by the Law Society of Zimbabwe
Botswana Civil Society Coalition on Zimbabwe (BOCISCOZ)
May 09, 2007
Visit
the special index page on the mistreatment of the legal profession
in Zimbabwe
At a meeting held on
Tuesday 20 March 2007, we, BOCISCOZ, committed ourselves to take
forward our movement to give solidarity to citizens of Zimbabwe.
BOCISCOZ, comprising
The Botswana Council of Churches (BCC), The Botswana Council of
Non-Governmental Organisations (BOCONGO), The Botswana Secondary
Teachers Trade Union (BOSETU), DITSHWANELO - The Botswana
Centre for Human Rights, The Media Institute of Southern Africa
(MISA) Botswana Chapter, The Concerned Africans Association (CAA),
Amnesty International Botswana, The International Socialists Botswana,
The Disability HIV/AIDS Trust (DHAT), The Botswana Congress Party
(BCP), The Botswana National Front Youth League (BNFYL), The Bible
Society of Botswana, Kgolagano Theological College, The Lutheran
Church, Tirisanyo Catholic Commission, The Dutch Reformed Church,
The Evangelical Fellowship of Botswana, The Kweneng Rural Development
Association (KRDA), Lifeline Botswana, The Botswana Community Based
Organisations Network (BOCOBONET), The Botswana Network on Law HIV
and AIDS (BONELA), The Botswana Unified Local Government Service
Association (BULGASA), The Botswana Teachers Union (BTU), Habitat
for Humanity Botswana, CORDE, Childline, The Law Society of Botswana,
Emang Basadi,, Botswana National Aid Services (BONASO), The Botswana
Women's Shelter, and The Botswana Scouts, wish to express
its solidarity with the members of the Law Society of Zimbabwe and
their attempted march of 8 May 2007 in Harare, in which some of
their members were assaulted.
The march was staged
in protest of the abuse of the rule of law and the increasing physical
and verbal threats directed towards members of the legal profession
in Zimbabwe. After gathering outside of the High Court, demonstrators
were notified by police officers that the march had been banned
and were asked to disperse, upon which the officers assaulted some
of them.
On Friday 4 May 2007,
Attorneys Andrew Makoni and Alec Muchadehama were unlawfully arrested
outside the High Court and detained until the evening of 7 May.
The two men, who represent several opposition activists, were not
made aware of the charges against them and denied access to their
attorneys, medical attention, or families during the detention,
in defiance of court orders.
These disturbing incidents
are the latest developments in a pattern of human rights violations,
in which a disregard for constitutional law and the freedom of expression
has been exhibited by senior police officers.
BOCISCOZ commends
the reported decision taken by the Pan-African Parliament to establish
a body to investigate the deteriorating human rights situation in
Zimbabwe. We acknowledge the role of MP Mr. Boyce Sebetela (Botswana)
who supported the motion, which was tabled by South Africa. We furthermore
call for serious engagement by SADC, and its appointed liaison President
Thabo Mbecki of South Africa, with the Government of Zimbabwe in
holding law enforcement accountable for this behaviour.
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