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Treason charges against Munyaradzi Gwisai & others - Index of articles
Detention and allegations of torture of political activists in Zimbabwe
Phillip J.
Crowley, Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs, US Department
of State
March 04, 2011
The United States is
concerned about recent arrests in Zimbabwe targeting political and
civil society activists. On February 19, police arrested former
Movement for Democratic Change Member of Parliament Munyaradzi Gwisai
and 45 other labor union and student activists who had gathered
peacefully to discuss recent events in Egypt; they were subsequently
charged with treason. In recent weeks, there have been a number
of other arrests of political and civil society activists. In some
of those incidents, activists claimed to have been tortured.
Mr. Gwisai's defense
attorney has reported that several of the 46 people were tortured
while in custody, and we understand that the magistrate has ordered
physical examinations to substantiate those claims. We call on the
government to provide medical attention for those who need it and,
if torture occurred, to take immediate action to hold the perpetrators
accountable. We will follow closely the planned announcement of
a ruling on the merits of the treason charges on March 7.
Zimbabwe has acceded
to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and
as such, has an obligation to uphold and ensure enjoyment of its
peoples' rights to peaceful assembly, freedom of opinion and expression,
and protection from arbitrary arrest or detention. We call on the
Government of Zimbabwe to uphold those rights and to ensure due
process for those arrested.
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