Police blockade peaceful protest

(MISA/IFEX) – On 26 January 1999, police in the Zimbabwean capital Harare prevented several hundred protesters from handing over a petition to the Speaker of Parliament. The incident took place during a peaceful march to Parliament to protest the recent detention and torture of editor Mark Chavunduka and reporter Ray Choto of “The Standard” newspaper. […]

(MISA/IFEX) – On 26 January 1999, police in the Zimbabwean capital Harare
prevented several hundred protesters from handing over a petition to the
Speaker of Parliament. The incident took place during a peaceful march to
Parliament to protest the recent detention and torture of editor Mark
Chavunduka and reporter Ray Choto of “The Standard” newspaper.

**Updates IFEX alerts of 27 January, 25 January, 22 January, 21 January, 18
January, 15 January and 13 January 1999**
The demonstrators, most of them lawyers, wanted to give the Speaker of the
House a petition citing a number of complaints against alleged state abuse
of human rights. However, the marchers were met in front of Parliament House
by about sixty riot policemen, armed with AK-47 assault rifles, button
sticks, dogs and tear gas canisters. The chairperson of the Zimbabwe Lawyers
for Human Rights, which organised the protest under the auspices of the
Zimbabwe Constitutional Assembly, Kevin Laue, told the SABA news agency that
the protesters would meet the Attorney General on 27 January over their
grievances. Laue added that the detention and torture of the two
journalists, and the blockade today of a peaceful march, were a defiance of
Zimbabwe’s Constitution.

Background Information

On 14 January, the Zimbabwean High Court ordered the government to release
Chavunduka, arguing that his detention was unlawful. The government
(military) however refused to abide by the court order saying civilian
courts have no jurisdiction over military camps where Chavunduka was being
held. A second order was issued by the High Court demanding Chavunduka’s
release, but was again flouted by the military, who instead pretended it
would be handing Chavunduka over to the police to be charged under a civil
process. Choto was arrested by police on 19 January, and then handed over to
the military for interrogation.

Both men have been charged under the Law and Order Maintenance Act of 1960
for publishing false reports that were “likely to cause alarm, fear or
despondency to the public, or section thereof.” The offence carries with it
a maximum prison sentence of seven years. They were released on 21 January
on bail of Zim$10,000 (approx. US$255). They were not asked to plead and
were remanded to appear for trial on 22 February. They were also instructed
to surrender their travel documents.

On 21 January, shortly after the two had been released on bail, they
recounted how they had been tortured at the hands of the military. Both men
were beaten all over their bodies with fists, wooden planks and rubber
sticks, particularly on the soles of their feet, and given electric shocks
all over the body, including the genitals. They were also subjected to the
“submarine”, where their heads are wrapped in plastic bags and then
submerged in a water tank until they suffocate.

On 22 January, the day after their release, police arrested the managing
director of “The Standard”, Clive Wilson, and held him in jail for three
nights. Wilson was released unconditionally on 23 January after the Attorney
General refused to prosecute him for what he said was the police’s lack of
evidence.

Speaking to reporters afterwards, Wilson said he was interrogated for three
and half hours concerning the sources of the contentious story which
appeared in “The Standard”, but that he was not tortured in any way.

Recommended Action

His Excellency President Robert Mugabe

Office of the President

Causeway, Harare

Zimbabwe

Fax: +263 4 708 557

Mr Moven Mahachi

Zimbabwe Minister of Defence

Fax: +263 4 796 762