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IBA Encourages Zimbabwe Government to Heed Findings of African Commission Report
International Bar Association (IBA)
July 14, 2004

http://www.ibanet.org/news/NewsItem.asp?NewsID=148

The International Bar Association’s (IBA) Human Rights Institute congratulates the African Commission on Human Peoples Rights (African Commission) on the adoption of the report from their 2002 mission to investigate reports of human rights abuses in Zimbabwe.

The IBA is disappointed that Jonathan Moyo, Minister for Media and Information in Zimbabwe, did not respond to the substantive content of the report, which highlights a breakdown in the rule of law and increased cases of torture and repression. Instead, Minister Moyo appeared on television attempting to sully the reputation of both the African Commission and highly respected lawyer Sternford Moyo.

Minister Moyo contended that the Report was not written by the high level experts who visited the country in 2002. The IBA is concerned at the personal attack made by the Minister live on television towards lawyer Sternford Moyo. During the interview Minister Moyo attacked the former President of the Law Society of Zimbabwe, as allegedly having a role in writing the Report, and that the African Commission had been influenced by American and British authorities. These allegations are entirely baseless. The African Commission is an independent body comprised of State appointed high level experts from all the member nations – including the Zimbabwean Former Attorney General, Andrew Chigovera. The IBA would recommend that the authorities in Zimbabwe distance themselves from such comments, which serve only to detract attention from the conclusions of this important document.

‘The African Commission’s report reaffirms some of the findings of our own mission to Zimbabwe in 2001, and the evidence from many organisations within Zimbabwe over the past several years, which demonstrate a clear deterioration in the rule of law and increased abuse of human rights. The loss of freedoms and the gross mistreatment of ordinary Zimbabweans are significantly worse now than in 2002.’ said Mark Ellis, IBA Executive Director.

For further information please contact:
Esther Major
Human Rights Institute Administrator
International Bar Association, 271 Regent Street , London W1B 2AQ , England
Tel: +44 (0)20 7629 1206
Fax: + 44 (0)20 7409 0456
E-mail: esther.major@int-bar.org
Website: www.ibanet.org

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