Amnesty International has condemned the arrest and detention of 25 opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) members saying it shows an escalating crackdown against freedom of association and assembly in the run-up to the general elections set for the second half of 2023.
Responding to the arrest of the 25, Flavia Mwangovya, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for East and Sothern Africa said the act is a shameless assault against the rights to privacy, liberty and security of persons.
“The arrest of members of a political opposition party simply for holding a meeting at a private residence is a shameless assault by Zimbabwean authorities against the rights to privacy, to liberty and security of persons and to freedom of expression. Their chilling message is unmistakeable. It is clear that Zimbabwe authorities will go after anyone who dares oppose them in the upcoming elections,” said Mwangovya.
He called for the immediate release of the 25 urging the Zimbabwean authorities to respect citizens’ right to freedom of assembly.
“These 25 individuals must be released immediately and all charges against them must be dropped. Zimbabwe authorities must respect the right to freedom of assembly in the run-up to the election,” added Mwangovya.
Amnesty further castigated the police’s attempt to deny the arrested 25, access to legal counsel following the assault of human rights lawyer Kudzai Kadzere who had gone to represent them.
“It is also disgraceful that the police tried to deny these 25 individuals their human right to have access to counsel by physically assaulting their lawyer as he tried to confer with his clients,” said Mwangovya.
“The lawyer should not have been attacked simply for discharging his function of defending his clients. Lawyers should not be identified with their clients or their clients’ causes as a result of discharging their functions.”
