Military

DATE=1/24/2003

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=ZIMBABWE/AMNESTY (L-Only)

NUMBER=2-298757

BYLINE=CHALLISS MCDONOUGH

DATELINE=JOHANNESBURG

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: The human rights group, Amnesty International, says Zimbabwean police are increasingly involved in torturing and harassing opposition supporters. V-O-A Correspondent Challiss McDonough reports from Johannesburg, where Amnesty officials released preliminary results of their latest fact-finding trip to Zimbabwe.

TEXT: Amnesty International says Zimbabwe authorities are increasingly cracking down on local human rights groups that have been documenting alleged state-sponsored human rights violations for the past several years. Amnesty says this is a shift from the previous pattern, when the usual targets of government attacks were individual opposition supporters and members of the independent media.

The Amnesty team members, who just ended a week-long Zimbabwe tour, say they have been visiting the country regularly over the last two year, and, in their words, "the level of fear has never been greater."

Amnesty International researcher Sharmala Naidoo says she is particularly worried about the growing role of the police in incidents of torture and intimidation.

/// NAIDOO ACT ONE ///

It's very clear that there is much more involvement on the part of police in perpetrating torture and other human rights violations in Zimbabwe. Whereas previously, the state has used state-sponsored militia and war veterans to perpetuate violations, we are now seeing the police taking a much more active role in perpetrating torture.

/// END ACT ///

As an example, Ms. Naidoo cited the case of Job Sikhala, an opposition member of parliament who was arrested last week, along with several opposition activists. She said there is solid physical evidence that they were beaten and tortured while in police custody. She says she herself saw the scars on their bodies, including evidence of electric shock torture on their ears, feet and genitals.

Ms. Naidoo believes the Zimbabwean government is trying to crack down on any form of dissent.

/// NAIDOO ACT TWO ///

An increasing threat to the rule of law, a complete breakdown in the rule of law, in that sense. If police, the custodians of justice, are now much more involved in actually perpetrating the violations, then who do ordinary Zimbabweans turn to for protection of their rights? So that's very serious indeed.

/// END ACT ///

Zimbabwean officials have not responded specifically to the new Amnesty International allegations. But the Zimbabwean government has dismissed previous criticism of its human rights record, calling its critics neo-colonialists who want to destabilize the country.

Amnesty International is urging the Zimbabwe government to invite U-N human rights investigators to the country. And the group wants the international community to speak out against what it calls continued violations by the Zimbabwe government of the U-N Convention Against Torture. (Signed)

NEB/CEM/AWP/TW/FC