Munyaradzi Gwisai (center with glasses)
Please take a minute to sign the online petition and to write to Zimbabwean officials demanding the release of six activists who continue to be jailed and tortured. The following is the statement that can be found online demanding their release. You can read more about the situation at SocialistWorker.org, and check out CNN’s report as well.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, has added her voice to the growing demands to release the activists.
We hereby add our voices to the worldwide outcry of protest against the detention and torture of Zimbabwean citizens for the “crime” of gathering to discuss the recent mass movements in Tunisia and Egypt. We demand the immediate release, without charges, of the remaining 6 Zimbabwean activists facing treason, punishable by death.
International pressure from labor federations and human rights activists has garnered global media attention since their arrest on February 19, 2011, and on March 7, helped secure the release of 39 of the initial 45 arrested activists, many of whom have been beaten, tortured and denied HIV medication.
The legal rights of the 6 are already being violated and they are being severely punished before the court has ruled guilt or not. The men have been placed in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day and are allowed out in two 30-minute sessions a day. The women are being subjected to hard labor.
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), which “condemns the continued persecution of political activists in Zimbabwe and the never improving situation in that country” demands the activists’ release.
Please e-mail the Zimbabwean officials to demand the immediate release of the Six:
- gender activist Antonater Choto,
- Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) leaders Welcome Zimuto and Eddson Chakuma,
- labor activist Tatenda Mombeyarara,
- International Socialist Organization (Zimbabwe) coordinator and labor lawyer Munyaradzi Gwisai, and
- anti-debt campaigner Hopewell Gumbo.
Send e-mails to: info33@zimbabwe-embassy.us, consular@zimbabwe-embassy.us, gapare@zimbabwe-embassy.us, mhute@zimbabwe-embassy.us, goora@zimbabwe-embassy.us, chinoingira@zimbabwe-embassy.us, masoso@zimbabwe-embassy.us, nyamapfeni@zimbabwe-embassy.us, mukupe@zimbabwe-embassy.us
Join the Facebook group “Calling for the Release of Zimbabwean Activists” for updates on the case and solidarity actions.
Related Articles
- UN Human Rights Chief Calls for Release of Zimbabwe Activists (swradioafrica.com)
- Release of 39 activists, but 6 held in solitary confinement (swradioafrica.com)
- Defense attorney: Jailed Zimbabwe activists beaten by authorities (cnn.com)
- Zimbabwean Socialists Tortured (socialistworker.org)
- ‘Egypt video’ Zimbabweans freed (bbc.co.uk)
- 6 activists to face treason charges in Zimbabwe (cnn.com)
- Zimbabwe Prof Arrested, Tortured for Watching Viral Vids | Danger Room | Wired.com (wired.com)
- Washington concerned over torture allegations in Zimbabwe (cnn.com)
- Zimbabwe court frees 39 treason suspects (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
