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Ten
dead following police misuse of tear gas
Amnesty
International
AI
Index: AFR 46/027/2004 (Public)
News Service No: 233
September 22, 2004
http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGAFR460272004?open&of=ENG-ZWE
New York - Amnesty
International is calling for a full and independent inquiry into
the deaths of at least ten people, since 2 September 2004, at Porta
Farm, an informal settlement on the outskirts of Harare.
On 2 September,
riot police, "war veterans" and members of the youth "militia" reportedly
went to Porta Farm to forcibly evict some 10,000 people, many of
whom have been living there since 1991. The police were acting in
defiance of a court order prohibiting the eviction. According to
eye-witness testimony, the police fired tear gas directly into the
homes of the Porta Farm residents. One resident of Porta Farm, a
man who had been ill with tuberculosis, is reported to have died
on 2 September, shortly after being exposed to the tear gas. A young
child died the following day. By Sunday 19 September eight more
Porta Farm residents had died. Residents claim that all those who
died, several of whom were reported to have pre-existing illnesses,
had been exposed to the tear gas. Amongst the dead are a mother
and her five-month old son, who were in their home when police fired
tear gas into the building. Hundreds of residents have complained
of chest and stomach pains, nose bleeding and other ill-effects
since the tear gas incident. Doctors who examined some of the Porta
Farm residents, following the events of 2 September, believe that
those most seriously affected by the tear gas were particularly
vulnerable due to pre-existing illnesses such as tuberculosis.
Amnesty International
is appalled by the excessive use of force by the Zimbabwe Republic
Police, and deeply concerned by the deaths at Porta Farm. "Firing
tear gas into a confined space is completely contrary to international
human rights standards on the use of force by law enforcement officials
because of the danger posed to those exposed," the organization
said. Amnesty International is also concerned by the attempt to
forcibly evict the residents of Porta Farm. Forced evictions - a
term used internationally to describe evictions carried out without
due process - violate human rights. They violate Zimbabwe’s obligations
under international human rights treaties to which it is a party.
Forced evictions undermine the right to adequate housing and subject
people to arbitrary or unlawful interference with their privacy,
family or home. "The Government of Zimbabwe has an obligation to
provide access to adequate housing for all people within its jurisdiction.
Any resettlement of the residents of Porta Farm must ensure that
their civil, political, social and economic rights are upheld,"
Amnesty International said. "The authorities must ensure that all
those affected by the police use of tear gas are properly examined
and provided with any medical care they may need," the organization
added.
In 1991 thousands
of people living in informal settlements around Harare were moved,
by the government, to Porta Farm, as a temporary measure in anticipation
of being permanently resettled. More than a decade later the majority
remain at Porta Farm. In July 2004 the Porta Farm residents were
allegedly told they would be relocated to other farms. However,
the residents were subsequently threatened with death by "war veterans"
if they moved to the proposed locations. On 31 August 2004 they
obtained a court order staying their eviction from Porta Farm for
10 days, while the matter was investigated further. Tear gas can
be lethal if used in confined spaces. It can also cause people to
panic and stampede, which is often where the most serious injuries
and fatalities occur. Amnesty International has documented misuse
of tear gas by police in Zimbabwe for several years, including incidents
at the University of Zimbabwe in 1995 and 2001. Amnesty International
has examined some of the tear gas canisters used by the police on
2 September at Porta Farm to determine the suppliers. Many of the
canisters carried the initials "PW", while some were marked "ZW".
Canisters with these initials were also fired into university student
residences by the Zimbabwe Republic Police in November 2001.
Background
In 1991 thousands of people living in informal settlements around
Harare were moved, by the government, to Porta Farm, as a temporary
measure in anticipation of being permanently resettled. More than
a decade later the majority remain at Porta Farm. In July 2004 the
Porta Farm residents were allegedly told they would be relocated
to other farms. However, the residents were subsequently threatened
with death by "war veterans" if they moved to the proposed
locations. On 31 August 2004 they obtained a court order staying
their eviction from Porta Farm for 10 days, while the matter was
investigated further.
Tear gas can
be lethal if used in confined spaces. It can also cause people to
panic and stampede, which is often where the most serious injuries
and fatalities occur. Amnesty International has documented misuse
of tear gas by police in Zimbabwe for several years, including incidents
at the University of Zimbabwe in 1995 and 2001.
Amnesty International has examined some of the tear gas canisters
used by the police on 2 September at Porta Farm to determine the
suppliers. Many of the canisters carried the initials "PW",
while some were marked "ZW". Canisters with these initials
were also fired into university student residences by the Zimbabwe
Republic Police in November 2001.
Public
Document
For more information please call Amnesty International's press office
in London, UK, on +44 20 7413 5566
Amnesty International, 1 Easton St., London WC1X 0DW. web: http://www.amnesty.org
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rights news view http://news.amnesty.org
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