Back to Index

ZLHR & IHRDA file complaints with the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights & Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa
October 07, 2004

Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights a non-governmental organisation working for the fostering of a culture of human rights in Zimbabwe through the use of litigation with the local and international tribunals and the Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa, a pan African organisation working on the use of African human rights systems and mechanisms to address human rights violations in Africa have filed communications with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights with regards to access to and administration of justice in Zimbabwe.

The communications are in respect of electoral laws inadequacies and the deportation of Andrew Meldrum a journalist working for the independent media without regard to due process of the law. With the elections in March 2005, it is necessary that the Zimbabwean government be taken to task on issues of addressing electoral irregularities, which characterized the elections in 2000 and 2002. The complaints seeks inter alia that the African Commission make recommendations to the Zimbabwean government on the importance of laws that protect and promote citizen participation and non-infringement of fundamental rights and freedoms such as freedom of expression, assembly and association.

"For some time Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights has been gravely concerned at the apparent absence of real and effective remedies for human rights violations in domestic tribunals. In particular the courts in Zimbabwe have increasingly failed to be the guarantor and protector of fundamental rights and freedoms resulting in the rise in cases of lawlessness and abuse of power by the Executive. Andrew Meldrum's case demonstrates the extent to which a powerful Executive can abuse power to "fix" perceived critics of the State", said Arnold Tsunga, director Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights.

Alpha Fall, the director of the Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa emphasized on "the importance of the use of African Human rights systems to create an enabling environment for the enjoyment of human rights in Africa".

Visit the ZLHR 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