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IBA condemns pre-election attack on Law Society of Zimbabwe
International Bar Association (IBA)
March 13, 2008

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http://www.ibanet.org/iba/article.cfm?article=152

The International Bar Association (IBA) has condemned a series of attacks by the government of Zimbabwe on the Law Society of Zimbabwe ahead of elections later this month. It urges the Government to stop interfering with the legitimate work of the country's organized legal profession.

The state-run Herald and Sunday Mail newspapers recently published articles alleging that the Law Society of Zimbabwe is working with the European Union (EU) and United Kingdom government to circumvent a government ban on election observers from the EU.

One lead article entitled 'EU Recruits Secret Observers' alleges that the Law Society was asking law firms to observe the elections on behalf of the EU. It quotes the Minister of Justice Patrick Chinamasa saying, 'It has come to my knowledge that the Law Society of Zimbabwe leadership has turned the society into a political party to the extent of soliciting from British and other foreign governments funds to engage in active politics . . . . I will no longer treat them as a professional society, but a political opposition party.'

'These are ominous words in light of the Mugabe regime's record of brutality against the political opposition and human rights defenders,' said Mark Ellis, Executive Director of the International Bar Association. 'The true objective of this vindictive government campaign is to justify a clampdown on independent lawyers in the run-up to the election,' he said.

Richard Goldstone, Co-Chair of the Human Rights Institute of the IBA (IBAHRI) urged the Law Society of Zimbabwe not to be deflected from its efforts to monitor the country's forthcoming elections saying, 'Zimbabwe's law society should be strengthened by the knowledge that its efforts to maintain independence and defend fundamental civil and political rights and freedoms in the face of enormous hostility from the government are supported by legal professionals worldwide.' He added, 'There would appear to be scant hope that that this poll will be free and fair in light of the Zimbabwe government engaging in a fierce campaign to prevent independent scrutiny of the process.'

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