World news in brief: Zimbabwe calls for rights, ‘serious concerns’ over Azerbaijan prosecutions, Bahrain prisoners warned
Human rights defender Namatai Kwekweza; teacher and labour rights advocate Robson Chere, secretary general of the Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ), along with a local council member from the capital Harare, Samuel Gwenzi, were dragged off a departing flight at Harare Airport on July 31, according to a press release from the UN human rights office.
Unidentified men escorted the three to a high-security area inside the airport and held them for eight hours.
While in detention, they are alleged to have been subjected to enforced disappearances, torture, and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, including waterboarding.
They have also faced serious threats when protesting before or during the Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit scheduled to take place from August 17 to 19 in the Zimbabwean capital.
‘Indefensible’ treatment
“The enforced disappearance, incommunicado detention and torture, followed by the arbitrary detention of these human rights defenders, are inexcusable and not only violate international human rights law but also make a mockery of the protections enshrined in the Zimbabwean Constitution,” the United Nations said. Human Rights Council– appointed experts who do not receive any salary or remuneration for their work.
The human rights defenders were charged with “disorderly conduct” under section 41 of the Criminal Law Reform and Codification Act, in connection with their alleged participation in a protest calling for the release of a detained opposition politician.
Experts say Namatai Kwekweza was not even in Zimbabwe at the time of the protest.
“These baseless allegations are being used as a pretext to target human rights defenders and opposition voices for calling for greater democracy, human rights and accountability in Zimbabwe.
“At a time when Zimbabwe is preparing to host the SADC summit, value including ‘democratic, legitimate and effective’ institutions, it is unconscionable that human rights defenders working to strengthen such institutions remain arbitrarily detained.”
The activists remain in government custody and a bail hearing is scheduled for Friday.
Rights expert voices ‘serious concerns’ over prosecution of rights defenders in Azerbaijan
The UN independent expert monitoring human rights defenders, Mary Lawlor, expressed serious concern on Thursday over the detention and prosecution of six human rights defenders and journalists in Azerbaijan.
“In recent months I have seen an alarming wave of arrests and criminal cases” involving security guards and media workers, Ms Lawlor said. “I have raised two such cases with the Government as part of this worrying trend.”
Alarming cases include Anar Mammadli, president of the Center for Democratic Studies and Election Monitoring, and journalists from Abzas Media, a media outlet that specializes in reporting on human rights issues and investigating corruption.
Several people were charged with conspiracy to smuggle money and face up to eight years in prison.
“Anti-corruption investigations, independent election monitoring and international human rights protection are all legitimate human rights activities,” said Ms Lawlor.
‘Clear violation’
“Retaliation for this work and the exercise of freedom of expression is a clear violation of international human rights law.”
The Special Rapporteur – along with other independent experts, who do not represent any government or UN agency – expressed concern about the seizure of electronic devices and documents from the Abzas Media offices and homes of journalists and human rights defenders who were arrested.
She said the seizure of the devices could potentially expose their sources in anti-corruption investigations.
“Azerbaijan’s failure to restore justice in the Mammadli case over six years demonstrates the lack of effective domestic remedies and raises concerns that violations of the rights of human rights defenders may resume,” she said.
Bahrain’s treatment of prisoners draws human rights attention
Finally, to Bahrain, where the treatment of prisoners is a focus of a call of leading human rights experts, amid protests by detainees and allegations of heatstroke.
Manama, capital of Bahrain.
In an appeal to the Bahraini authorities, the independent experts – who report to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva – called for “immediate action to protect the rights of all prisoners at Jau prison”.
Among the non-UN experts, the Special Rapporteur on Torture, Alice Edwards, highlighted disturbing allegations that authorities “cut off air conditioning,” exposing prisoners to temperatures in excess of 50 degrees Celsius — or 122 degrees Fahrenheit.
Since March of this year, and in response to prisoners’ demands for better living conditions, the Special Rapporteur asserted that detainees in some buildings were “routinely” denied medical care “and lacked regular access to adequate food and safe drinking water”.
Ms Edwards, who along with other independent human rights experts has urged the Bahraini authorities to “begin a meaningful dialogue with prisoners and their families about improving conditions”, said the conditions “could be fatal for some detainees”.
