EU parliament demands release of Zimbabwean political prisoners

By Tatenda Dewa | Harare Bureau |

The European Union (EU) parliament has described President Robert Mugabe’s government as authoritarian and made a direct demand for the release of scores of Zimbabweans being held in prison by President Robert Mugabe’s government.

According to #Tajamuka, a civil protests group, more than 60 human rights defenders are still in remand custody.

The bloc, in a motion on Wednesday, the EU parliament in Brussels, Belgium, said the release must be urgent and unconditional to enable dialogue and avoid a civil crisis.

The EU has removed most of the people and institutions and individuals on a restrictive measures list decreed more than 10 years ago and resumed direct engagement with the government.

However, it has always insisted on respect for human rights by the Harare government.

“(The EU) believes that the lifting of the bulk of restrictive measures was premature and that the council and commission should consider re-imposing certain measures, while making clear that these will be removed and that a package of assistance will be made available once Zimbabwe is clearly on the path towards democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights, and specifying, in particular, that assistance will be provided to support a free and fair electoral process and police reform,” the EU said.

The EU condemned Mugabe’s recent attack on the judiciary, which he rapped judges for ruling in favour of citizen protests following police attempts to block the demonstrations.

The motion described Mugabe as an authoritarian ruler.

“The people of Zimbabwe have suffered for many years under an authoritarian regime led by President Mugabe that maintains its power through corruption, violence, rigged elections and a brutal security apparatus; whereas the people of Zimbabwe have not experienced true freedom in decades and many under the age of 30 have, therefore, only known lives of poverty and violent repression,” added the motion.

The motion also cited recent moves by the police to suppress citizen protests and urged Mugabe to investigate brutality blamed on the law enforcement agency.

Since July, citizens have staged numerous protests against the government, but security agents have ruthlessly descended on them and even banned demonstrations in Harare. Nehanda Radio