THE Zimbabwean authorities must immediately release human rights defenders who have been arbitrarily detained for over two weeks and drop charges against them, independent UN human rights experts said on Tuesday.
Woman human rights defender Namatai Kwekweza, teacher and labour rights defender Robson Chere, the Secretary-General of Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ), along with local councillor for Harare Ward 5, Samuel Gwenzi, were forcibly removed from a departing flight at Harare Airport on 31 July 2024.
Unidentified men escorted the three to a high security zone within the airport and held them incommunicado for eight hours.
During this time, the three were reportedly subjected to enforced disappearance, torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, including waterboarding.
Additionally, they were severely threatened against protesting in advance of or during the Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit scheduled for 17 to 19 August 2024 in Harare.
‘The enforced disappearance, incommunicado detention and torture, followed by the arbitrary detention of these human rights defenders is inexcusable, and not only violates international human rights law but also makes a mockery of the safeguards contained in Zimbabwe’s own Constitution,’ the UN rights experts said.
At around 9pm on 31 July 2024, the human rights defenders were handed over to the Zimbabwe Republic Police at Harare Central Police Station, when they were informed, for the first time, that they were facing charges of ‘disorderly conduct’ under section 41 of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act.
These charges relate to their alleged participation in a demonstration calling for the release of a detained opposition politician. Namatai Kwekweza was apparently not even in Zimbabwe at the time of the demonstration in question.
The UN experts said: ‘These baseless charges are being used as a fig-leaf to target human rights defenders and opposition voices for calling for greater democracy, human rights and accountability in Zimbabwe.
‘At a time when Zimbabwe is preparing to host the SADC summit, whose values include institutions that are “democratic, legitimate, and effective”, it is unconscionable that these human rights defenders working to strengthen such institutions remain arbitrarily detained.’
The release of the human rights defenders on bail has been opposed by the prosecutor and a further bail hearing was scheduled for las Friday, 16 August 2024.
The UN experts have been in touch with the government of Zimbabwe on the issue.
- UN experts have urged Nigerian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Yahaya Sharif-Aminu, who was convicted of blasphemy for writing a song and sharing it on a social messaging service.
Yahaya Sharif-Aminu was sentenced to the death penalty in 2020.
‘Although his death sentence was quashed by a court of appeal, we remain deeply concerned that Mr. Sharif-Aminu’s case will be re-prosecuted based on the same legal framework, the Kano State Sharia Penal Code Law, with serious risks that the death sentence will be confirmed,’ the experts said.
They urged the Nigerian government to abolish the imposition of the death penalty for the crime of blasphemy and ensure it is restricted to the ‘most serious crimes’, after a fair trial upholding fundamental safeguards, in accordance with the country’s obligations under international human rights law.
‘We note that the Supreme Court of Nigeria has been advised of the matter but remain deeply concerned that Mr. Sharif-Aminu has been in prison for too long for exercising his human rights,’ the experts said.
They recalled that all people have the right to freedom of expression and to manifest their religion or belief, as well as to take part in cultural life and the development of their society through artistic expression, without fear of imprisonment, reprisals or even execution.
‘We urge the Supreme Court to consider Mr. Sharif-Aminu’s case as a priority, and to urgently adopt a decision taking into consideration Nigeria’s obligations under international human rights law,’ the UN rights experts said.
They requested the government to promptly review Sharif-Aminu’s situation, guarantee protection of his human rights and ensure his physical and psychological well-being as well as that of anyone seeking to assist him to defend his human rights.
‘Should the death sentence be re-confirmed by a court, the government must issue a stay of execution until Nigeria’s laws comply with its international human rights obligations in matters relating to the death penalty,’ they said.
The imposition of the death penalty on charges of blasphemy would amount to an arbitrary deprivation of life under international law.
The UN experts also recommended that Nigeria establish a moratorium on the death penalty, with a view to completely abolishing it.
They have raised Sharif-Aminu’s case with Nigerian authorities since his arrest in 2020.
- Kenya Aviation Workers Union, the country’s biggest aviation union, last Saturday postponed for two weeks a planned strike that was scheduled to start on Monday, 19 August.
This was to allow talks with the government over a proposed deal with an Indian company to develop the country’s main airport.
The planned strike has been delayed by two weeks to ‘give dialogue a chance’, a spokesman said on Saturday.
About 10,000 members of the Kenya Aviation Workers Union had planned to walk out on 19 August over plans by the Kenyan government to strike an investment deal with India’s Adani Group to expand and operate Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
Kenya Aviation Workers Union secretary general, Moss Ndiema, told reporters last Saturday: ‘After deliberations, we have resolved to postpone our strike for two weeks to give dialogue a chance.’
He added that a meeting with the transport ministry would be held on Tuesday, 20 August.
The union previously opposed the deal, saying it was an attempt to privatise the airport by stealth.
The strike will now kick off on 2 September ‘unless the talks bear fruit’, he said without specifying further.
Under the proposal, Adani would invest US$1.85 billion in expanding the airport in exchange for operating it for 30 years, according to leaked documents.
Adani would add a second runway and upgrade the passenger terminal, according to the airport operator Kenya Airport Authority (KAA).
Kenya’s government has defended the deal as a necessary measure to refurbish Jomo Kenyata International Airport (JKIA), one of Africa’s busiest hubs, often hit by power outages and leaking roofs.
