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Police accused of beating suspect to death
Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights)
February 26, 2010

Zimbabwe Human Right Association is greatly disturbed by reports in the media that police in Mutare allegedly beat a suspect to death where he was in their custody and attempted to withhold the postmortem results as a way of covering up their act.

The reports reveal that Wilson Saban was arrested at his Chikange home on January 15, on allegations of impersonating a police officer. He was taken to Mutare Central Police Station where he was beaten up by four detectives until he collapsed.

After he collapsed, his wife, Rebecca Musariri revealed that her husbund was thrown into the holding cells without treatment. He was taken to Mutare Provincial Hospital where he died days later. She has identified two of the detectives who assaulted her husband as Constable Ndlovu and Sergeant Mlambo.

Musariri said doctors told the family that the dearth was a result of being assaulted, but the police refused to release the results of the post mortem despite a court order to do so.

It is the mandate of the police to protect the people in the country, not to abuse their rights while in custody. Legally every person is innocent until proven guilty and should be treated. The use of force to coerce people to make confessions or on prisoners in general is a gross violation of human rights.

It is in this background that ZimRights urges the government to ratify the Convention Against Torture and all forms of Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment of Punishment. After ratification, the convention should be domesticated to ensure that the incidence of unlawful treatment of prisoners and other Zimbabweans is brought to an end.

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