HARARE - Human rights defender, Okay Machisa, received death threats by email on February 16, 2010, spurring local and international human rights organisations to immediately call for the protection of rights defenders and activists in Zimbabwe. Machisa, the national director of Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights), one of the main human rights organisations in the country, received a threatening e-mail warning him of his impending death.
Its the latest ominous warning in a number of threats that were sent by SMS, phone and now e-mail to the human rights defender. ***The Zimbabwean heard that Machisa was taking precautions for his safety, such as moving house and not making any public statements.
The threats include accusations that he was a “traitor.
Machisa has spoken out about what he believes to have been irregularities in Zimbabwe’s recent elections, or about human rights abuses being committed by police and armed gangs throughout the country during the elections.
More recently, ZimRights has actively worked on the constitution-making process, campaigning on the right of people to be involved in the drafting of the new constitution.
On the morning of February 16, Machisa received an email warning him to be careful with his work. The message continued, saying that a number of people have been assigned to bring you down. The e-mail also threatened Machisa’s family, warning that something may happen at his home.
This is not the first attempt to intimidate ZimRights’ national director. In November 2009, returning home from a meeting, Machisa saw armed men waiting for him at his gate. The men left after he alerted colleagues and before the police arrived. Several other active members of ZimRights are also the target of threats.
International rights organisation Front Line, said in a statement it believed that the intimidation and threats against Machisa and ZimRights were a consequence of his legitimate work on the constitution-making process and the human rights situation in Zimbabwe.
Several local rights groups called on the Zimbabwean government to ensure the safety and protection of all human rights defenders in Zimbabwe, investigate the threats being made against them and bring those found responsible to justice.
Post published in: Politics