HARARE - United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (pictured) has slammed the deportation of Manfred Nowak, a top torture investigator by the Zimbabwean government last Thursday. The world bodys Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, was invited by the authorities on October 1. Despite receiving a written invitation from Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, he was not allowed into the country upon arrival at Harare international airport. Ban said in a statement he supported the call by the High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay on the government of Zimbabwe to give full access to the human rights mechanisms of the United Nations”.
“More generally, the Secretary-General regrets the circumstances that led to the decision of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) to temporarily disengage from the Cabinet and Council of Ministers in Zimbabwe,” his spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters in New York.
Ban believes the GNU has improved the lives of Zimbabweans and hopes that this latest challenge will be surmounted as soon as possible, urging all parties to respect the power-sharing agreement reached last August, Montas said.
“I deeply regret that the government has deprived me of the possibility to objectively assess the situation of torture and ill-treatment through gathering on the spot evidence from all available sources, including governmental and non-governmental sources, victims and witnesses, as well as visits to various places of detention,” Nowak said .
“Each hour is critical,” he stressed.
While in transit in Johannesburg, South Africa, last Tuesday, he was informed that Zimbabwe’s Foreign Minister Simbarashe Mumbngegwi had decided on Monday to postpone his visit, citing consultations between the government and the South African Development Community (SADC).
The Rapporteur flew to Harare on Wednesday night, but upon arrival, he was met by the head of airport immigration, who said that despite his valid visa, his entry into the country had not been cleared by the Foreign Minister.
After spending the night at the airport, he was sent back on the first flight to Johannesburg Thursday morning, despite efforts by the UN, the Prime Minister and other authorities to facilitate his entry into the country.
Nowak said that he strongly protests his treatment, urging the government to fully investigate the incident and identify who is responsible for denying his access to Zimbabwe.
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