Zimbabwe Human Rights
Human Rights Concerns
On May 25, 2008, mourners in Harare attended the burial of 33-year-old local opposition activist Tonderai Ndira who was found dead days after being abducted from his home in the aftermath of the March general elections. ©Getty Images
© International Crisis Group (www.crisisgroup.org)
Amnesty International has documented unlawful killings, torture and other ill-treatment, including beatings, as well as harassment and intimidation of mainly Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) supporters and human rights defenders in Zimbabwe following elections on 29 March 2008. By the end of May dozens of people had been killed and over 1600 people had been treated for injuries sustained from politically related violence. A week prior to the elections on June 27, Amnesty International revealed that 12 bodies have been found in various areas of Zimbabwe. Most of the victims appear to have been tortured to death by their abductors. Human rights groups in Zimbabwe have been unable to document all the cases of violence as their movements have been severely restricted and some of them have fallen victim to the on-going violence.
The bulk of the human rights violations have been perpetrated by supporters of the Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) party and members of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWA) (generally known as “war veterans”). State security organizations, in particular the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) have been unwilling to act against these perpetrators – allowing them to kill, torture, assault and burn homes and businesses of suspected MDC supporters with impunity. In fact, in some cases authorities have instigated or even directed attacks by these groups.
In early June, the government of Zimbabwe banned field operations by humanitarian aid organizations. These restrictions will not only expose millions of people to hunger but also serve as a means for the government to prevent aid workers from witnessing sharply increased levels of state-sponsored political violence taking place in the country since presidential and parliamentary elections were held on March 29.
The government of Zimbabwe’s months-long campaign of terror and violence against civilians led opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai to pull out of the June 27 run-off presidential election against President Robert Mugabe. Despite calls to postpone the election until the security situation in Zimbabwe improved, Mugabe held the scheduled run-off. The vote, marked by state violence and intimidation, fell heavily in favor of the unopposed Mugabe. But continued chaos and political deadlock in Zimbabwe has inspired regional and international involvement, and led to a July 21 agreement between Tsvangirai and Mugabe on a framework for talks aimed at ending Zimbabwe’s political crisis. This initial agreement reportedly commits both sides to an easing of political tension and sets a two-week deadline to begin formal negotiations. Talks between Mugabe, Tsvangirai, and a second faction of the MDC are ongoing in Pretoria, with South African President Thabo Mbeki acting as mediator.
Latest News
Zimbabwe: Climate of fear persists despite dealJuly 25, 2008
Zimbabwe: Climate of fear persists despite deal; violence must not be pardoned
July 24, 2008
Violence and coercion mark Zimbabwe's election
June 27, 2008
Zimbabwe: Violence and Coercion Mark Zimbabwe's Election
June 27, 2008
Twelve bodies found in Zimbabwe – victims tortured to death
June 20, 2008
Zimbabwe: Amnesty International reveals 12 bodies found; victims tortured to death
June 19, 2008
Latest Reports
Zimbabwe: A trail of violence after the ballotJune 03, 2008
Zimbabwe: Between a rock and a hard place - women human rights defenders at risk
July 25, 2007
Zimbabwe: Torture, Ill-treatment and Denial of Medical care
July 06, 2007
Zimbabwe: human rights in crisis. Shadow report to the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights
May 22, 2007
