UNI condemns killing and arrests in Zimbabwe
UNI global union has condemned the latest terror attack by the Mugabe regime in Zimbabwe on human rights.
Zimbabwe police arrested and beat up scores of people trying to join a prayer meeting on Sunday night organised by the Save Zimbabwe Campaign and denied access to the leader of the Movement for Democratic Change Morgan Tsvangirai, who was among those arrested.
One man was shot dead by the police and there were reports of running battles between police and demonstrators.
The MDC has expressed its outrage in which political and civil leaders and their supporters have been arrested, tortured and denied access to legal and medical assistance.
UNI has demanded the release of all those arrested and called on the Zimbabwe government to restore human rights to its citizens.
“This is another sign of the ugly face of the Zanu-PF government in Zimbabwe,” said UNI General Secretary Philip Jennings. “There is total contempt for the rule of law and lawlessness by the state authorities has led to yet another death. We deeply regret the killing of Gift Tandare and insist that democracy is restored to the troubled land of Zimbabwe.”
In spite of a clear record of seven years of peaceful opposition the MDC and other groups have been banned from holding political meetings for three months.
“It would appear as if the Zanu-PF regime is prepared to defy the world and use whatever means to frustrate legitimate expressions of opposition to its misrule of Zimbabwe,” said the MDC MP David Coltart.
“The situation has now been greatly exacerbated by the murder of Gift Tandare, the unlawful arrests of Morgan Tsvangirai, Arthur Mutambara and many other leaders and activists.”
The BBC World Service reported lawyers for Mr Tsvangirai having to visit 14 police stations in Harare in their attempts to speak to the MDC leader. “When lawyers can’t get in to see their clients, law enforcement agencies the world over feel they have the licence to torture. That is the very reason why the United States Supreme Court last year – and very correctly – ruled that the denial of access to lawyers in Guantanamo Bay offended the American Constitution,” said Mr Coltart.