By Staff Reporter
Foreign diplomats in Zimbabwe have strongly condemned the repeated arrests of human rights defenders and opposition activists ahead of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit.
The government has intensified its crackdown on dissent as the summit approaches. Last week alone, police arrested 14 activists in Kariba for participating in a protest and four human rights defenders – Namatai Kwekweza, Robson Chere, Samuel Gwenzi, and Vusimuzi Moyo – who were detained upon disembarking from a plane.
In a statement on Thursday, the European Union in Zimbabwe condemned the arrests and urged authorities to respect the constitution.
“We, the Heads of Mission of the European Union in Harare, are deeply concerned about the multiple arrests that have occurred over the last two months. We urge the authorities to uphold fundamental freedoms in line with the Zimbabwean constitution and international human rights obligations, including those related to arrest, detention, and legal proceedings,” said EU ambassador Jobst Von Kirchmann.
The Canadian embassy also expressed concern over the arrests, stating, “Canada is deeply concerned by recent arrests and reports of mistreatment in Zimbabwe and urges the authorities to uphold the constitution, which guarantees freedom of expression and assembly, and to ensure due process.”
Meanwhile, 80 opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) activists were arrested on June 16 for allegedly participating in an unsanctioned gathering and disorderly conduct. They remain in pre-trial detention.
Additionally, over 60 Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) students were arrested and reportedly beaten on July 23 but were later released.
Zimbabwe is set to host the 44th SADC summit, with President Emmerson Mnangagwa assuming the chairmanship.
