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Stop
harassing opponents of former government
Amnesty
International
May 10, 2010
The Zimbabwe authorities
must stop harassing political opponents and government critics,
Amnesty International said today, following the acquittal of a critic
of President Robert Mugabe accused of plotting to overthrow him.
Roy Bennett, a Movement
for Democratic Change official, had been charged with "conspiring
to acquire arms with a view to disrupting essential services"
following his arrest in February 2008. He was acquitted by a Harare
court on Monday.
"While welcoming
the acquittal of Roy Bennett, we remain concerned about persistent
abuse of the law against perceived opponents of the former ZANU-PF
government," said Michelle Kagari Amnesty International's
Deputy Director for Africa.
"We urge the unity
government to immediately end all malicious prosecutions of people
exercising their rights to freedom of expression, association and
peaceful assembly."
Roy Bennett was previously
adopted as a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International in
2004 after he was sentenced to a 15-month jail term by a parliamentary
committee.
Despite the creation
of the unity government in February 2009, police continue to arbitrarily
arrest and detain human rights activists, journalists and political
activists aligned to the former opposition parties now sharing power
in the inclusive government.
In the last three months
human rights activists attempting to facilitate public debate on
past human rights violations have been specifically targeted and
their activities barred by police.
Between 26
and 28 April, police in Masvingo, Gweru and Chinhoyi stopped exhibitions
of photographs depicting organised violence and torture that followed
the March 2008 elections. The exhibitions were organised by the
Zimbabwe Human
Rights Association (ZimRights) to facilitate public debate as
part of the national healing process.
In Masvingo, ZimRights'
regional chairperson Mr Joel Hita was arrested and detained overnight.
He is still facing unspecified charges.
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