Take Action for Prosper Tiringindi
Your Excellency,
On 29 February 2016, human rights defender Mr Prosper Tiringindi was called in for questioning at Masvingo Central Police Station on the trumped up charge of obstruction of justice. He was arrested on 25 February 2016 during a peaceful protest in Masvingo.
Prosper Tiringindi is Coordinator of Masvingo Residents Trust (MRT), a human rights organisation which campaigns for transparency and public accountability in the delivery of social services in the Masvingo province of south-eastern Zimbabwe. The group advocates for the improvement of the socio-economic rights of communities in the province by supporting projects to reduce poverty and support sustainable development, and organising peaceful demonstrations demanding good governance from the Masvingo authorities.
The human rights defender was held at Masvingo Central Police Station from 8:30 am to approximately 11:30 am on 29 February 2016. Whilst there, the human rights defender presented his version of the facts concerning an incident which took place on 25 February 2016, and due to which the charge of obstruction of justice, which he denies, has been brought against him.
On 25 February 2016, the human rights defender was arrested by traffic police in the city of Masvingo, during a protest against arbitrary acts reported to have been committed by the Zimbabwean police, including the practice of placing spikes on roads to stop drivers. Despite this practice being prohibited by the Zimbabwean police, it is reported to have been employed, resulting in multiple accidents. The human rights defender's protest coincided with several demonstrations taking place in Masvingo in protest against President Robert Mugabe's extravagant 92th birthday celebrations, which involved a party estimated to have cost hundreds of thousands of Euros.
The human rights defender was beaten by police at the scene before being taken to Masvingo Central Police Station, where he was held for several hours in spite of his injuries and severe pain. He was struck hard on both legs, his head and his left eye, resulting in the reddening of his eye, headaches, swollen limbs and severe pain. He was formally notified of the charge against him upon the arrival of his lawyer at the police station, and subsequently released. He then went to Masvingo General Hospital where he was admitted and discharged on the following day, despite his continued need for medical attention and persisting pain.
This is not the first occasion on which Prosper Tiringindi has been subjected to judicial harassment. In September 2015, the human rights defender appeared before the Masvingo Provincial Magistrate Court along with three members of MRT for the first hearing of their trial on falsified charges of malicious damage of property and organising a public gathering intended to promote violence. The charges were brought against them in connection with a peaceful protest they had organised to call for transparency from the Masvingo City Council when handling development funds. The case remains open and the human rights defender and his fellow MRT members are scheduled to appear at Masvingo Magistrates Court on 14 March 2016 for the continuation of the trial.
I express concern at the judicial harassment and unsubstantiated charges brought against the human rights defender, which I believe to be a result of his peaceful and legitimate work in the defence of human rights.
I urge the authorities in Zimbabwe to:
1. Drop all the charges against Prosper Tiringindi and cease any further judicial harassment of him as I believe that the human rights defender is being targeted as a direct result of his legitimate and peaceful work in the defence of human rights;
2. Take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity and security of Prosper Tiringindi;
3. Guarantee in all circumstances that all human rights defenders in Zimbabwe are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions.
Sincerely,
