There has been an international outcry over the arrest of six socialists in Zimbabwe who are facing charges of treason for organising a meeting at Harare University.
The meeting, which had nearly 50 people attending, was called to discuss the revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia. Police raided the meeting and detained the people present, throwing them into prison where many were subjected to torture and other forms of abuse. Eventually 39 have been released, but six remain. Now the state is pushing for their trial for treason. If convicted they could face the death penalty.
Around 100 police attacked the meeting, charging into the room and beating people present. Some people sustained terrible injuries and had to be taken to hospital, but many were denied hospital treatment for some considerable time by the police. After being detained a court order had to be received for those with HIV to get their medication as the police also prevented people from having essential anti-retrovirals.
This disgusting attack on human rights by Mugabe’s government should come as no shock to workers around the world. Clearly the historic events in North Africa and the Middle East have terrified dictators everywhere, including the regimes in Zimbabwe. Mugabe feared that the spirit of resistance from Tahrir Square might come to his own country and the police were sent to arrest the ringleaders.
The six activists still detained are Munyaradzi Gwisai. Antonater Choto, Eddson Chakuma, Welcome Zimuto, Tatenda Mombeyarara, and Hopewell Gumbo. Gwisai is a professor at Harare university and the national co-ordinator of the International Socialist Tendency in Zimbabwe. The release of the other 39 people attending the meeting was a result of a campaign in Zimbabwe which put pressure on the ruling Zanu-PF party. But the police are intent on pushing for prosecution of the other activists, who are well-known socialists and campaigners in the country.
Join the growing international campaign to secure the release of the Zimbabwean six.
Send statements of solidarity to:
[email protected] and copy to [email protected] and [email protected]
Fax a copy to the Embassy of the Republic of Zimbabwe in London on 020 7379 1167
You can also email it to [email protected]
or post to Embassy of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe House, 429 Strand, London, WC2R 0QE
The Ambassador is Mr Gabriel Mharadze Machinga.
Please join the facebook group for more updates
https://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_178601402184959&view=doc&id=179526805425752#!/home.php?sk=group_178601402184959
Send money to Donations: CDL– MINE-LINE Worker Solidarity Fund,
Deposit reference “Zimbabwe Treason Trialists Solidarity Fund”,
NEDBANK, Killarney Branch, Johannesburg.
Branch code: 191 60535,
Current Account number: 100 185 3784,
SWIFT CODE NEDSZAJJ Email [email protected] to notify them of the donation
For more details please visit http://internationalsocialists.org/wordpress/2011/02/zimbabweans-face-po…