Connect Stories Reporter
In a worrying turn of events, Zimbabwean authorities have arrested around 40 civil society workers from two organizations – the Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) and the Election Resource Centre (ERC) – on August 23, 2023, in Harare. This move comes amidst growing concerns about the shrinking space for civil society in the country, and it is believed that the detained employees are being held incommunicado, with their whereabouts shrouded in secrecy.
The Zimbabwe Republic police (ZRP) National Spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the arrests and noted that, the police will issue a statement in due course.
Police said the 39 were arrested for allegedly planning to release unofficial election results.
“A raid was conducted last night (Wednesday) at Holiday Inn in Harare, at a location in Belgravia, Milton Park and also in the Grange area where several communication gadgets were recovered which include laptops, phones,” Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said.
Lawyers from the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) have not been able to ascertain the location of the detainees, and they are being denied access to their clients. With fears mounting that this may turn into enforced disappearance, ZLHR is urging the authorities to respect the rights of arrested and detained persons, as guaranteed by section 50 of the Constitution.
Muchadehama, Bamu, and Ncube, the lawyers representing the detainees, argue that their clients are being illegally detained, as the law enforcement agencies should have conducted investigations and established reasonable suspicion before making any arrests.
Additionally, concerns have been raised that the detainees have not been allowed to contact their legal representatives or their loved ones, as guaranteed by section 50 of the Constitution.