Upenyu Chaota
13 Feb 2017 – The United States has expressed concern over the continuing deterioration of the human rights situation in Zimbabwe and urged government to respect the rights of all citizens as enshrined in the country’s constitution.
In a statement released last week, the United States embassy slammed the “unwarranted arrest and continued detention of pastor Evan Mawarire and the incarceration of pastor Phillip Patrick Mugadza.”
“The United States government unequivocally believes in the basic right to freedom of speech and calls on the government of Zimbabwe to respect the human rights of all Zimbabwean citizens which are enshrined in the constitution.
“We believe that the basic right of Zimbabweans to freedom of speech – be it in public, through print media or social media – should be protected within and outside Zimbabwe’s borders,” the statement reads.
The embassy called on the government to respect the rule of law and legal due processes as provided for by the constitution.
“We fear these recent actions will further limit the right of Zimbabweans to exercise their constitutionally protected freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly, which are similarly protected under Zimbabwe’s international human rights obligations and are core values of any functioning democracy,” the statement reads.local
