Will Zimbabwean state agents be held responsible for violating Mukoko’s rights?
September 28th, 2009
This via the BBC:
Terrorism charges against a prominent Zimbabwean rights activist have been thrown out after a court ruled she had been tortured while in custody.
The Supreme Court granted Jestina Mukoko a permanent stay of prosecution after she told how security agents took her from her home and beat her.
[...]
Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku dismissed the case against Ms Mukoko and eight other defendants.
He accepted the claims of Ms Mukoko’s lawyers that security agents had not upheld her rights.
“The state, through its agents, violated the applicant’s constitutional rights… entitling the applicant a permanent stay of criminal prosecution,” Mr Chidyausiku said.
It’s incredibly good news for Jestina and also for the other abductees facing the same charges.
I am left with a question: if the Supreme Court have acknowledged that Jestina Mukoko was abducted, tortured and had her constitutional rights violated by state agents, will the state agents who carried out these atrocities be publically named and held accountable?
More on the cases and experiences of Jestina Mukoko and other detainees here.
