Zimbabwe submitted its first human rights report in eight years to the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR), ZimOnline reported on Monday.
It said the document apparently entailed a vehement denial of human rights violations.
Zimbabwe had, since 1998, failed to comply with the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights requiring members to submit yearly human rights reports.
The director of policy in Zimbabwe’s justice ministry, Margaret Chiduku, told ZimOnline the country had finally complied with the charter requirements.
It submitted its report to the ongoing 40th session of the ACHPR in Banjul, The Gambia.
Chiduku said: ”I am happy to report that we have submitted our combined state party report since 1998 to the ACHPR and we await to hear from the commissioners.”
The ACHPR secretariat said the document would remain embargoed for now.
Diplomats and ACHPR commissioners who saw the report described it as a ”vehement and unapologetic attempt” by Harare to defend its controversial human rights record.
They said the report says whatever rights violations may have occurred were because of an abnormal situation caused by sanctions imposed by Western countries. — Sapa