Human Rights Defenders Detained in Zimbabwe: Allegations of Torture Surface

Human Rights Defenders Arbitrarily Detained in Zimbabwe, Accused of Disorderly Conduct

August 8, 2024, Harare—In a troubling development, three prominent human rights defenders in Zimbabwe, including a teacher and two activists, have been arbitrarily detained following their removal from a domestic flight.

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a partnership between the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), has raised urgent concerns over their treatment.

Robson Chere, a teacher and Secretary General of the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union (ARTUZ), Namatai Kwekweza, a human rights activist and founder of WELEAD trust, and Samuel Gwenzi, a pro-democracy activist and director of the Zimbabwe Human Rights Monitors Platform, were detained on July 31, 2024. They were removed from a flight at Robert Mugabe International Airport in Harare, where they were en route to attend the African Philanthropy Conference in Victoria Falls.

According to the Observatory, the trio, along with an artist named Vusumuzi Moyo, was detained incommunicado for at least eight hours. Their location was eventually revealed by the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), who found them at Harare Central Police Station. Disturbingly, reports indicate that Robson Chere was severely tortured during his detention.

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Namatai Kwekweza

“The arbitrary detention of Robson Chere, Namatai Kwekweza, and Samuel Gwenzi appears to be aimed at restricting their freedom of assembly and hindering their legitimate human rights activities,” stated the Observatory in a release.

On August 2, the four individuals were charged with “disorderly conduct in a public place,” in relation to their alleged participation in a peaceful march outside the Harare Magistrates Court on June 27, 2024. The march was in protest against the arrest and judicial proceedings of 78 opposition members from the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), who were accused of attending an event marking the Day of the African Child without police clearance.

The Observatory expressed grave concern over the deteriorating situation for civil society in Zimbabwe, noting an escalating crackdown on human rights defenders ahead of the upcoming Southern African Development Community (SADC) Summit in Harare. The Observatory called on Zimbabwean authorities to guarantee the physical integrity and psychological well-being of the detained activists and to carry out an immediate investigation into the alleged acts of torture.

“The arrest and torture of these human rights defenders highlight a broader trend of repression against civil society in Zimbabwe,” the Observatory warned. “We urge the Zimbabwean authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Robson Chere, Namatai Kwekweza, and Samuel Gwenzi, and to put an end to all acts of harassment against them.”

As the situation unfolds, the Observatory continues to monitor developments and calls on the international community to take action to ensure the protection of human rights defenders in Zimbabwe.

For now, the fate of these activists hangs in the balance as they await further legal proceedings, while the global human rights community remains vigilant and concerned.

Staff Reporter

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