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Zimbabwe activists tortured after meeting on Egypt, lawyers say - Monsters and Critics
Harare -
At least nine activists arrested on Saturday were tortured under interrogation after police raided a meeting where they were discussing the mass demonstrations that overthrew Egyptian president Hosny Mubarak, their lawyers said Monday.
Police have accused the 46 people arrested of plotting to subvert a constitutionally-elected government, but lawyers say the group were attending a memorial lecture in private legal offices in Harares city centre where they discussed the events in Egypt and Tunisia and were shown a video of the protests.
At least nine of them were tortured when they were being questioned, said Rose Hanzi, an attorney for Lawyers for Human Rights who was last able to speak to the detainees on Sunday night. She said they were beaten with wooden planks usually used by police to beat victims on the soles of their feet.
Those present at the meeting included lawyers, labour unionists and students.
Senior officials of Mugabe's regime, in power for 31 years, have asserted that the events in North Africa could not been replicated. Defence Minister Emmerson Munangagwa said last week that any attempt to emulate the Cairo and Tunis uprisings would be crushed.
Harare -
At least nine activists arrested on Saturday were tortured under interrogation after police raided a meeting where they were discussing the mass demonstrations that overthrew Egyptian president Hosny Mubarak, their lawyers said Monday.
Police have accused the 46 people arrested of plotting to subvert a constitutionally-elected government, but lawyers say the group were attending a memorial lecture in private legal offices in Harares city centre where they discussed the events in Egypt and Tunisia and were shown a video of the protests.
At least nine of them were tortured when they were being questioned, said Rose Hanzi, an attorney for Lawyers for Human Rights who was last able to speak to the detainees on Sunday night. She said they were beaten with wooden planks usually used by police to beat victims on the soles of their feet.
Those present at the meeting included lawyers, labour unionists and students.
Senior officials of Mugabe's regime, in power for 31 years, have asserted that the events in North Africa could not been replicated. Defence Minister Emmerson Munangagwa said last week that any attempt to emulate the Cairo and Tunis uprisings would be crushed.
