Assault on dissent exposes bigotry
A NEW briefing by Amnesty International documents how the Zimbabwean authorities have mounted a brutal crackdown against protesters, using killings and torture, among other serious human rights violations, to crush protests against fuel prices which began on January14
Amnesty International interviewed relatives of some of the 15 people who have been killed by security forces since the start of protests, and detailed how the authorities had used lethal and excessive force such as tear gas, baton sticks, water cannons and live ammunition to silence dissent.
“The Zimbabwean authorities have resorted to the most brutal tactics imaginable to crush demonstrations against fuel hikes. Killings, reports of rape by military personnel and widespread arbitrary arrests of many protesters and non-protesters have cast doubts on hopes that President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government might mean a better future for Zimbabweans where respect for human rights is the norm,” said Muleya Mwananyanda, Amnesty International’s deputy regional director for Southern Africa.
“Scores of human rights defenders, activists, opposition and civil society leaders suspected of organising protests have gone into hiding fearing for their lives as a state-sponsored witchhunt continues, and several women are fearing the worst after reportedly being raped by uniformed soldiers.”