“The victims of torture and political violence whom we spoke with and examined in Zimbabwe were not only prominent members of the political opposition but also low-level political organisers and ordinary citizens” said Dr. Allen Keller, Director of the Bellevue NYU Program for Survivors of Torture and co-author of a report based on the visit.
“They were targeted and brutalised because of their political affiliations or activities. All of the individuals we examined had clear physical and psychological evidence of torture,” he added.
According to the report victims, were detained under inhuman conditions and denied appropriate access to medical and legal assistance. Members of civil society, including doctors and lawyers assisting victims of political violence, also described being subjected to harassment by government authorities.
Keller said the findings raised profound concerns about whether elections scheduled for 2008 would be free and fair.
International medical experts found evidence that the Zimbabwean Government was systematically using torture and violence as a means of deterring political opposition.
This investigation was the first conducted by international health professionals since the March 2007 violence in Zimbabwe. Their visit was facilitated by the South African NGO Solidarity Peace Trust. – Ntando Ncube
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