Police abuse lawyers and deny access to clients

By Tererai Karimakwenda
27 March, 2007

Lawyers in Zimbabwe have reported that it has become impossible for them to conduct their work due to intensified abusive behaviour by the police. Several lawyers have been assaulted or verbally abused in the last few weeks and in many cases, they have not been allowed access to their clients. Additionally, top police chefs have ignored High Court rulings ordering them not to interfere with opposition rallies or to release arrested activists and opposition officials.

Speaking on the programme In The balance with Gugulethu Moyo, Tafadzwa Mugabe of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights said the problems became worse from March 11th when police arrested opposition leaders and blocked a prayer meeting organised by the Save Zimbabwe Campaign. Tafadzwa said the police have grown increasingly intolerant to the presence of lawyers and disrespectful of court processes. He added that lawyers cannot even deliver a letter to police stations without being harassed, assaulted or verbally abused. The police have been targeting those lawyers dealing with human rights abuses and political cases.

When MDC president Morgan Tsvangirai was detained by police at his party’s headquarters in Harare Wednesday, Tafadzwa said lawyers were not allowed to come within 100 metres of the gate. As a result it was not known whether Tsvangirai had been arrested and removed from the premises or whether he was being detained inside the Harvest House. Tafadzwa also said many stop and search procedures being conducted by the police are illegal because they have no warrants and no reasonable cause.

Lawyers have taken to approaching police stations in teams of two or more so they can feel safe. This would mean there would also be a witness if something should happen.
A delegation of Zimbabwean human rights lawyers visited Mozambique recently to lobby civil society groups there to pressure Robert Mugabe to introduce political reforms.