Action Alert 3 (updated ~11.30): Morgan Tsvangirai arrested again – now in Gweru
June 12th, 2008
Updated ~11.30 – Morgan Tsvangirai released … again
Via Reuters:
Zimbabwean police released opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai after arresting him again on Thursday as he campaigned for the country’s June 27 presidential run-off election, his spokesman said.
“We have just been released, some five minutes ago. We were not charged but held at Gweru Central Police Station for about three hours,” said Tsvangirai spokesman George Sibotshiwe, who was among those arrested with Tsvangirai.
“Our vehicles were searched. It’s just harassment, but we will be continuing with our campaign tomorrow,” he said. Tsvangirai has been detained four times in little over a week.
Morgan Tsvangirai has been arrested again. It seems that the plan is to make his life hell at every step of the way. All we can do is report it and keep responding steadily and firmly. We ask you to now please call Gweru Police Station. This via a press release:
At 1845 this evening, MDC President Morgan Tsvangirai was rearrested while driving into Gweru, his next stop on his Presidential election campaign.
The President and his entourage are currently being held at a police station in Gweru.
President Tsvangirai was earlier detained for two hours while electioneering in Kwekwe.
Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Gweru:
+263 (0)54 227897
+263 (0)54 221393
Please follow our guidelines here. Don’t forget to keep calling about Tendai Biti, who is still missing after being bundled into a car earlier today.
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June 12th, 2008 21:07
Tried calling the Gweru numbers, repeatedy, but they just ring and ring. Which, hopefully, means that they are being swamped by telephone calls from all over the world!
June 12th, 2008 21:41
This situation is going from bad to worse, to absolutely intolerable. How long more must the people of Zimbabwe endure such suffering? While the arrest of Morgan Tsvangirai, Tendai Biti and other opposition leaders is totally unacceptable, the suffering of unknown people in remote parts of the country should be commanding at least as much attention. Those of us living in other countries should now do all in our power to lobby our own politicans (I am in Ireland) with a view to securing effective international intervention, in order to free Zimbabwe from this murderous tyranny.
June 12th, 2008 22:31
You had a blogpost about this a few weeks(?) ago. Thought you might like to know what came of it.
http://www.eleconomista.es/empresas-finanzas/noticias/595643/06/08/University-of-Massachusetts-revokes-Mugabe-degree.html
University of Massachusetts revokes Mugabe degree
18:45 – 12/06/2008
By Jason Szep
BOSTON (Reuters) – The University of Massachusetts onThursday rescinded an honorary law degree awarded 22 years agoto Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, calling his politics”egregious” and his leadership an “assault on human rights.”
The state university has never before revoked an honorarydegree in its 145-year history.
“Rescinding an honorary degree is a step to be taken inonly the rarest and most grievous of circumstances,” RobertManning, chairman of school’s board of trustees, said in astatement after the unanimous vote by the 22-member board.
“Robert Mugabe’s performance and policies in Zimbabwe areso egregious as to warrant this ultimate expression ofdisapproval,” he said.
Mugabe, 84, led the nation to independence from Britain in1980 but has become an international pariah, accused of humanrights abuses and ineffective economic policies that haveresulted in rampant inflation, food shortages and poverty.
Mugabe and his officials are accused of intimidatingopponents since a poll in March in which opposition leaderMorgan Tsvangirai won but fell short of the margin needed foroutright victory, necessitating a runoff later this month.
U.S.-based Human Rights Watch said on Monday that a freeand fair election scheduled for June 27 was impossible becauseof a systematic campaign of murder and brutality unleashed byMugabe’s ZANU-PF party in which at least 36 people have died.
He was awarded the honorary doctorate of laws degree inOctober 1986 for his “exemplary devotion to social justice.”
The university’s president at the time, David Knapp, saidMugabe’s “gentle firmness in the face of anger and intellectualapproach to matters which inflame the emotions of others, arehallmarks of quiet integrity.”
The school’s current president, Jack Wilson, said theuniversity was compelled to take action because Mugabe’s”transgressions have led the world community to condemn hisgovernment’s assault on human rights and on the rule of law.”
Under Mugabe’s 28 years in power, Zimbabwe has slipped intoeconomic and political crisis, with deepening unrest betweenMugabe’s security forces and opposition groups.
He blames deteriorating conditions on sanctions imposed bythe West and regards opposition politicians as puppets ofWestern governments, led by Britain.
Kevin Murphy, a Massachusetts lawmaker, urged theuniversity to revoke the degree because of escalatingstate-sponsored violence in Zimbabwe.
Last year, Edinburgh University withdraw a degree awardedin 1984 for Mugabe’s services to education, also citing humanrights violations by his government.