Geneva, Switzerland — Independent UN human rights experts have called on Zimbabwean authorities to immediately release three human rights defenders who have been held in detention for over two weeks and to drop the charges against them.
The detained individuals include women’s rights activist Namatai Kwekweza, labour rights advocate and teacher Robson Chere, and Harare Ward 5 councillor Samuel Gwenzi.
On July 31, 2024, the three activists were forcibly removed from a departing flight at Harare Airport by unidentified men and taken to a high-security area within the airport. They were held incommunicado for eight hours, during which they reportedly endured enforced disappearance, torture, and other forms of cruel and inhuman treatment, including waterboarding. They were also threatened against organizing protests ahead of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit scheduled in Harare from August 17 to 19, 2024.
“The enforced disappearance, incommunicado detention, and torture of these human rights defenders is inexcusable and a blatant violation of international human rights law. It also undermines the protections enshrined in Zimbabwe’s own Constitution,” said the UN experts in a statement.
At approximately 9 p.m. on July 31, the activists were handed over to the Zimbabwe Republic Police at Harare Central Police Station, where they were informed, for the first time, of charges against them. They were accused of “disorderly conduct” under Section 41 of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act. The charges stem from their alleged involvement in a demonstration calling for the release of a detained opposition politician, though reports indicate that Kwekweza was not even in Zimbabwe at the time of the protest.
The UN experts criticized the charges as baseless, saying they were being used as a pretext to target human rights defenders and opposition voices advocating for democracy, human rights, and accountability in Zimbabwe.
“As Zimbabwe prepares to host the SADC summit, which promotes democratic, legitimate, and effective institutions, it is unconscionable that those working to strengthen these values remain arbitrarily detained,” they said.
The activists’ release on bail has been opposed by the prosecutor, with a bail hearing scheduled for August 16, 2024. The UN experts have communicated with the Zimbabwean government regarding the matter.
Source: APO Group