International human rights body calls on SADC to press Zimbabwe to respect the rights of its citizens

The International Federation for Human Rights has called on the Southern African Development Community which meets in the Swaziland capital Mbabane next week to insist that Zimbabwe respects, fulfills and protects the human rights of its citizens.

In a statement issued at its congress in Johannesburg, South Africa, yesterday, the federation denounced the use of brutal force by the police in dealing with demonstrations which had been sanctioned by the High Court.

It called on Zimbabwe to immediately and unconditionally stop all forms of violence against citizens participating in legitimate and peaceful demonstrations.

Police yesterday teargassed citizens who marched through the capital, Harare, to press for electoral reforms ahead of the 2018 elections.

The march had been called upon by the National Electoral Reform Agenda, representing 18 opposition political parties but opposition leaders Morgan Tsvangirai and Joice Mujuru had to flee in their cars as police battled with the protestors.

Full statement:

Urgent Motion on Zimbabwe

The 39th FIDH Congress, meeting in Johannesburg (Republic of South Africa) from 25 to 27 August 2016, wishes to express its solidarity and its support with human rights defenders in Zimbabwe.

Whereas Zimbabwe persistently invokes vague and broadly-defined “national security” provisions in the Public Order and Security Act (POSA) through giving flimsy and unsubstantiated grounds for barring public demonstrations in order to silence dissent, human rights defenders and ordinary citizens who simply take part in peaceful demonstrations;

Whereas recent events witnessed in Harare over the past few days and those being witnessed today, the 26th day of August 2016, in the face of a major demonstration by citizens gathering under the banner of National Electoral Reform Agenda (NERA) have seen the Police deploy brute force to crush dissent and peaceful demonstrations using water cannons, baton sticks and teargas against unarmed citizens participating in lawful demonstrations.

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