Upsurge in violence in Zimbabwe

The youth activist, Gift Tandare was shot dead in Harare's Highfield township on 11 March 2007 as riot police arrested at least seventy people including four prominent human rights defenders while attempting to attend a Save Zimbabwe Campaign prayer meeting.

Gift Tandare is the youth Chairperson of the National Constitutional Assembly.The 4 human rights defenders are, Mike Davies - Chairperson of the Combined Harare residents association, Madock Chivasa - Spokesperson for the National Constitutional Assembly, Dr Lovemore Madhuku, member of the National Constitutional Assembly and Gladys Hlatsawo, Information officer for the Crisis Coalition. It has been reported that a number of people were ill-treated and possibly tortured while in detention. On 12 March, Dr Lovemore Madhuku received medical attention at Parirenyatwa Hospital as his arm was fractured. Mike Davies of the CHRA is in detention in Goromonzi detention centre and there are concerns for his safety, as it is believed that he may have been tortured. Nineteen people remain in detention at Harare Central Police Station where representatives from Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) were denied access to those in custody.

Front Line is very concerned that the police in Zimbabwe are using the repressive Public Order and Security Act (POSA) to arrest and persecute human rights defenders who demonstrate, as evidenced by the recent detentions on 11 March. Front Line believes that the arrest, detention and alleged torture of some of the demonstrators are related to their legitimate peaceful activities in defence of human rights.

Front Line calls on the Zimbabwean authorities to carry out an immediate and prompt investigation into the killing of Gift Tandare, immediately release all human rights defenders and guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of all human rights defenders while in detention.