Concern over disregard for rule of law

Human rights bodies have condemned the alleged "silencing of dissent" and "disregard for the rule of law" in Zimbabwe. Amnesty International said the Zimbabwean authorities were "intensifying harassment of human rights organisations, the independent media and the judiciary", ahead of local council elections later this month. "On 29 August, Dr Frances Lovemore, medical director of Amani Trust, a leading human rights NGO in Zimbabwe, was arrested in Harare. Dr Lovemore [was] charged with 'publishing or communicating false statements prejudicial to the state'. The charge apparently stems from recent press reports which referred to Amani Trust's work with victims of torture and politically motivated rape in Zimbabwe," the rights group said. Lovemore was quoted in the British Daily Telegraph on 25 August as saying that "Mugabe's men use rape as revenge". She was later released, and the charges against her were dropped due to insufficient evidence. However, Amnesty International noted in a statement released on Monday that her arrest was an attempt to intimidate her. "The international community should take every step to support the work of Zimbabwean human rights NGOs which place themselves at risk in documenting cases of human rights violations and in treating victims," the lobby group said. Amnesty International also pointed to the bombing on 29 August of the Harare office of Voice of the People (VOP), one of Zimbabwe's two independent broadcasting organisations. While nobody was injured in the blast, the damage to the building was extensive. No responsibility has been claimed for the attack. "The government has also stepped up its harassment of the judiciary, as witnessed by several recent attacks on magistrates," the rights group said. In August two magistrates were assaulted by self-styled war veterans, apparently because of judgments they had made in politically charged trials. One of them was dragged out of his courtroom and beaten while another was stabbed at a petrol station. "The recent arrest of Dr Lovemore, the bombing of the office of the VOP, and the assaults on magistrates is evidence of a clampdown on critics of the government as the September elections draw nearer," Amnesty International said. "The attacks on the magistrates reflect on-going attempts on the part of government authorities and state sponsored 'militia' to undermine the judicial system and prevent court officials from executing their duties impartially and professionally," the organisation added. The UN High Commissioner on Human Rights (UNHCHR) Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Dato' Param Cumaraswamy, has also expressed outrage at the attacks. "The provision of adequate protection to judges and lawyers when their safety is threatened is a basic prerequisite for safeguarding the rule of law," Cumaraswamy said in a statement. "This is simply fundamental, in order to guarantee the right to a fair trial by an independent and impartial tribunal and the protection of human rights." "Unfortunately, this represents another example of the government of Zimbabwe's continuing disregard for the independence of the judiciary and contempt for the rule of law. The assault on the magistrate within the four walls of his court house can only be viewed as a blatant attack on the rule of law," he added. The Special Rapporteur called on the government to publicly condemn acts of violence against the judiciary, to reassert its commitment to the independence of the judiciary, and to prosecute all those responsible for the attacks. He also implored the international community "to redouble its efforts to ensure that the rule of law is respected in Zimbabwe".