Back to Index

This article participates on the following special index pages:

Gwisai arrest: Freedom of association, expression violated
Youth Forum
February 25, 2011

The sustained incarceration and torturing of human rights activist Munyaradzi Gwisai and 45 others is a clear indication that the courts and law enforcement agents of Zimbabwe are yet to reform and act professionally. The detention on trumped up charges is an unambiguous violation of the freedom of association and freedom of expression.

The Global Political Agreement (GPA) states that the government shall 'work in a manner that guarantees the full implementation and realisation of the freedom of association and assembly.' The arrest and continued detention of the former Highfield MDC MP and 45 others for arranging a meeting to analyse the events that were unfolding in Egypt and Tunisia is a direct contravention of what the parties promised to do in the GPA. We expect the government and law enforcement agents to honour what they fixed in black and white in the GPA.

As a youth organisation, we are deeply concerned by the fact that our fellow youths from the country's colleges and universities are being continually detained on charges that lack concrete evidence. There is lack of evidence to show reasonable suspicion that these 46 committed treason. If watching videos of the events in Egypt and Tunisia constitutes treason, then everyone who has access to a television set should be charged with treason as these videos were being shown on many television stations, including the state broadcaster ZTV.

The torture that Gwisai has been subjected to should stop immediately. It is morally unacceptable to torture a jailed individual, worse still before they are convicted. The denial of medication for the arrested and in need of medication should be strongly condemned and stop henceforth. The responsible authorities should make sure that the rights of persons in custody are respected, especially with respect to health as this is a matter of life and death.

If the Government of Zimbabwe fails to take note of events in Tunisia and Egypt and proceed to brutally deal with activists, we fear this will give rise to the mood to protest against police brutality and lead to serious revolts and unnecessary bloodshed. Remember in Tunisia the spark was the maltreatment and humiliation of a jobless university graduate who was brutalised by police before committing suicide by burning himself that led to the protests.

Visit the Youth Forum fact sheet

Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.

TOP