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This article participates on the following special index pages:
Index of articles on WOZA Valentine's Day arrests 2006
Women
Human Rights Defenders arrested and detained
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR)
February 14, 2006
Zimbabwe Lawyers
for Human Rights (ZLHR) has noted with grave concern the arrest
on 13 February 2006 of approximately one hundred and eighty one
(181) human rights defenders, under the banner of Women
of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA), in central Bulawayo as they were dispersing
from a peaceful protest. The detainees have been charged with violating
section 24 of the notorious Public Order and Security Act for participating
in an unsanctioned procession, which charges they deny.
ZLHR has been
advised and expresses its outrage that those arrested were exposed
to heavy rains and the harsh elements as they were detained in the
open police courtyard at Bulawayo Central police station for several
hours before being moved to cells at around 22:30hrs. Such treatment
is inhuman and degrading and flies in the face of basic fundamental
rights that are due to all human beings, including the Constitution
of Zimbabwe and the Basic Principles for the Treatment of Prisoners
(1990) which provide that all detainees shall be treated with the
respect due to their inherent dignity and value as human beings
and shall not be subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment or
punishment.
Among those
currently incarcerated are fourteen (14) infants. This is a direct
violation of accused persons’ rights in that, no female detainee
who is breastfeeding a baby shall be detained without the authority
of the Officer Commanding the Province, who must examine each case
and decide on the necessity of detention. There is no indication
that such an investigation was carried out in the present case.
ZLHR strongly condemns this flagrant disregard of the rights of
infants by putting their health and that of their mothers at risk
through mass detentions.
In the circumstances
ZLHR calls upon the Government of the Republic of Zimbabwe through
the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Zimbabwe Republic Police and members
thereof to respect the rights of accused persons and uphold due
process more particularly in that they ought to:
- Acknowledge
with respect to these pre-trial detentions, that Liberty
is the rule, to which detention must be the exception
- Respect the
right of accused persons to be promptly informed of reasons
for arrest and detention, and of any charges against oneself
- Acknowledge
and respect the right of the detained hrds to access to
and assistance of a lawyer
- To take heed
that in the performance of their duty, law enforcement officials
shall respect and protect human dignity and maintain and uphold
the human rights of all persons.
- Acknowledge
and respect the rights of these hrds to assemble, associate and
freely express their opinions without hindrance.
Visit the ZLHR
fact sheet
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