Lawyers representing detained trade union and opposition activists in Zimbabwe say their clients were viciously assaulted by police while in detention this week.
Armed police swooped on the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) leadership on Wednesday as they prepared to march to present a petition to the finance minister at the offices of the Employers Confederation of Zimbabwe.
Thirty-four people were arrested in Harare with 15 detained at Matapi police station in Mbare while the remainder were taken to the Harare Central police station.
Lawyers representing the trade unionists said it seemed their clients had been attacked by the police.
”From the look of it they were attacked by the police as soon as they were herded into cells,” said Alec Muchadehama of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights.
”Some have broken limbs. The attacks appeared sadistic because some of the people cannot get up on their own. We have been grappling with the police to get them released so that they can receive immediate medical attention,” he said.
Muchadehama said it appeared that the police were ”dilly-dallying”.
”We believe this is out of fear that releasing them will expose their brutality,” he said.
Late on Thursday night Muchadehama said the unionists detained at Matapi police station had been transferred to the Harare Central police station.
”We have reached a compromise that they be taken to hospital, but they will be under police guard,” the lawyer said.
”We hope they will appear in court tomorrow [Friday].”
Meanwhile, the Movement for Democratic Change said it was appalled by the extent of the physical assaults on their supporters.
”The police have engaged in a flagrant violation of the rights of those arrested,” said a statement by the party’s secretary general, Tendai Biti.
”They were called two at a time into a cell at Matapi police station where five state security agents brutally assaulted them. They are in a sorry state. It was a brutal assault,” Biti said.
Lawyers who visited the prisoners said Lucia Matibenga, the ZCTU Vice-President and MDC women’s assembly chairperson, had been badly assaulted with batons. The lawyers said Matibenga was bleeding from the ears and had a fractured arm.
They said Matibenga was having difficulty hearing and breathing and Wellington Chibebe, the ZCTU secretary general, had a ”crack” in his head.
The lawyers said ZCTU president Lovemore Matombo had both his arms fractured and needed medical attention.
Biti said the whereabouts of MDC national executive members Grace Kwinje and Kerry Kay remained unknown, although they were last seen at Harare Central police station.
”As if that is not enough, there are clearly no moves to take those arrested to the remand court,” said Biti.
The lawyers have since filed an urgent application seeking access to their clients, medical help and an order to have their clients placed on remand.
”We are hopeful the application will be heard,” Biti said late on Thursday. — Zimbabwe Independent