Perpetrators of violence responsible under international law

By Tererai Karimakwenda
10 April, 2007

On Tuesday Giles Mutsekwa, the secretary for Security and Intelligence in the Tsvangirai MDC, said police and military agents who are perpetrating violence against their officials and supporters should remember that one day they will be held responsible for their actions. Mutsekwa explained that the MDC has contacts who are currently serving within the police and military who volunteer information. When the time comes the lists being compiled will be used to prosecute those police and military agents under international law.

Just last week a top United Nations official warned security agents in Zimbabwe to be cautious and not shoot at innocent civilians. Philip Alston, the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial executions, released a statement to the media in which he warned that systematic attacks against innocent civilians were considered crimes against humanity and they would be prosecuted under international law. Alston accused government officials of failing to balance the peoples’ “rights to political participation" against the need to maintain public order. He said: "Full, independent investigations must be undertaken as soon as possible."

Mutsekwa said the people being used by government to brutalise the opposition are unruly thugs with very little training. He added that they are motivated by money and have no morality left to defend. But this will not protect them from prosecution. The MDC has been naming and shaming known offenders by publishing their names in The Zimbabwean newspaper. Mutsekwa said they will be exposed even more around the country and the world.