{"id":413463,"date":"2011-05-01T22:40:35","date_gmt":"2011-05-01T22:40:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/2011\/05\/01\/african-rights-commission-urged-to-investigate-torture\/"},"modified":"2011-05-01T22:40:35","modified_gmt":"2011-05-01T22:40:35","slug":"african-rights-commission-urged-to-investigate-torture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/05\/01\/african-rights-commission-urged-to-investigate-torture\/","title":{"rendered":"African Rights Commission Urged to Investigate Torture"},"content":{"rendered":"
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SW Radio Africa<\/a> (London)<\/p>\n

Alex Bell<\/p>\n

29 April 2011<\/p>\n

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A leading regional NGO has called on the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights to investigate torture and other human rights abuses in Zimbabwe, in a bid to end impunity in the Southern African region.<\/p>\n

In a statement ahead of the 49th session of the Commission, which began in the Gambian capital Banjul this week, the Human Rights Institute of Southern Africa (HURISA) called on the rights body to act to end impunity and the culture of human rights violations in both Zimbabwe and Swaziland.<\/p>\n

HURISA said the African commission’s special rapporteurs on freedom of expression, access to information and on torture, should be called upon to investigate cases of torture and other violations in the two Southern African Countries.<\/p>\n

Public pressure is building on African leaders to ensure that there is real democracy for all people in Southern Africa, amid growing impatience with oppressive regimes in the region.<\/p>\n

Earlier this month a three day protest against the King Mswati regime in Swaziland was suspended, after a heavy security clampdown, which saw teargas and water cannons being used on the public. Hundreds of people were also arrested. At the same time, the situation in Zimbabwe continues to deteriorate, with worsening intimidation, arbitrary arrests of MDC members and supporters, and police bans on different public gatherings and marches.<\/p>\n

The regional bloc SADC, previously described as ‘toothless’, has been cautiously praised for appearing to change its approach towards Zimbabwe. SADC has pledged to form a roadmap towards a credible poll in Zimbabwe and called for an immediate end to violence and intimidation in the country. But those calls have gone unheeded by ZANU PF.<\/p>\n

HURISA said a general breakdown of the rule of law in Zimbabwe has made it difficult to access justice or enforce judgments, especially those against the state. It cited a 2008 judgment by the regional human rights Tribunal declaring Mugabe’s land grab campaign unlawful; a ruling which the Mugabe regime has refused to implement.<\/p>\n

The regional NGO also said that draconian pieces of legislation continue to shrink the democratic space in Zimbabwe, severely limiting the right to freedom of expression, assembly and association. It cited the recent arbitrary arrests and detention of Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum Director Abel Chikomo and Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition coordinator Macdonald Lewanika, as examples of ongoing rights violations in Zimbabwe.<\/p>\n

Political analyst Professor John Makumbe told SW Radio Africa on Friday that the call for an investigation by the African rights Commission is “appropriate, timely and urgently needed.” He said impunity was a key concern for the region, but particularly for Zimbabwe, which is facing fresh elections in coming months.<\/p>\n

“It should have been done sooner, but it is better late than never. Especially now that we have seen SADC applying pressure for real democratic change. A thorough report could help ensure that human rights violations are nipped in the bud,” Makumbe said.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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Originally posted here:
\nAfrican Rights Commission Urged to Investigate Torture<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

SW Radio Africa (London) Alex Bell 29 April 2011 A leading regional NGO has called on the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights to investigate torture and other human rights abuses in Zimbabwe, in a bid to end impunity in the Southern African region. In a statement ahead of the 49th session of the Commission, which began in the Gambian capital Banjul this week, the Human Rights Institute of Southern Africa (HURISA) called on the rights body to act to end impunity and the culture of human rights violations in both Zimbabwe and Swaziland. HURISA said the African commission’s special rapporteurs on freedom of expression, access to information and on torture, should be called upon to investigate cases of torture and other violations in the two Southern African Countries<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-413463","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard"],"yoast_head":"\nAfrican Rights Commission Urged to Investigate Torture - Ghanamma.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/05\/01\/african-rights-commission-urged-to-investigate-torture\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"African Rights Commission Urged to Investigate Torture - Ghanamma.com\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"SW Radio Africa (London) Alex Bell 29 April 2011 A leading regional NGO has called on the African Commission on Human and People's Rights to investigate torture and other human rights abuses in Zimbabwe, in a bid to end impunity in the Southern African region. 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