THE government has dismissed the United Nations (UN) human
rights experts’ claims implicating authorities in disappearances and tortures
of activists, arguing that it respected human rights laws, the Daily News
reports.
This comes after the experts, who include the special
rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman treatment or punishment, Nils
Melzer and special rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to
freedom of opinion and expression Clement Nyaletsossi Voule, who visited
Zimbabwe in September last year, accused the government of targeting activists.
However, Information ministry permanent secretary Nick
Mangwana, yesterday said the UN officials were attending to the Zimbabwean
situation with pre-emptive conclusions.
“We are observing human rights and investigating any case
of disappearances including staged ones. We have never stopped anyone from
coming to observe anything in this country since the inception of the new
dispensation. But I guess they have
already arrived at their pre-emptive conclusions so they will have to overcome
a lot of confirmation bias challenges,” Mangwana said.
The UN sentiments come after three MDC youth leaders,
Joanna Mamombe, Cecilia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova were allegedly abducted and
tortured by State security agents after having participated in a flash
demonstration in Harare recently despite the obtaining national lockdown
introduced to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.
It also comes as Home Affairs minister Kazembe Kazembe
recently dismissed the claims that the three youth leaders were abducted,
saying that preliminary investigations by the police show that the alleged
abduction and torture was stage-managed.
The UN experts expressed grave alarm over concerns that the
MDC women’s case was not an isolated instance, highlighting that in 2019 alone,
49 cases of abductions and torture were reported in Zimbabwe, without
investigations leading to perpetrators being held to account.
“Enforced disappearances of women often involve sexual
violence and even forced impregnation, with enormous harm inflicted not only on
their physical health and integrity, but also in terms of the resulting
psychological damage, social stigma and disruption of family structures.
“Under the absolute and non-derogable prohibition of
torture and ill-treatment, which includes enforced disappearance and violence
against women, Zimbabwe must take all measures in its power to prevent such
abuse, to investigate suspected violations, and to bring any perpetrators to
justice,” the experts said.
They also urged the government to allow official visits of
UN human rights experts with a view to assessing the human rights situation in
the country. Daily News
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