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Release CSU workers illegally detained by police
Amnesty International
November 07, 2012

Amnesty International calls for the immediate and unconditional release of three workers of the Zimbabwean NGO, Counselling Services Unit, who have spent more than 48 hours in police custody without charge and without being brought before a court.

"The detention of these NGO workers is illegal and Amnesty International calls on the Zimbabwe police to release them immediately."

"Amnesty International regards all three of these men as prisoners of conscience, arrested solely for their legitimate work providing counselling services to victims of torture and organised violence," said Noel Kututwa, Amnesty International's southern Africa director.

"The unlawful detention of the three men is indicative of SADC's failure to enforce reforms of the security services as agreed in the Global Political Agreement. SADC should urgently act to stop this ongoing harassment and intimidation of civil society organisations in Zimbabwe."

Additional information

Fidelis Mudimu, Zacharia Godi and Tafadzwa Geza were arbitrarily arrested on Monday following a police raid at their offices. Police armed with a search warrant claimed that the organisation was in possession of material that "defaces any house, building, wall, fence, lamp post, gate, elevator without the consent of the owner or occupier thereof," in contravention of Section 46 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act. Initially five workers from CSU were arrested, but two were later released after interrogations.

Visit the Amnesty International Zimbabwe fact sheet

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