Police officers demoted for setting free MDC activists
Source Date: 20-07-2007

Six senior police officers in Masvingo town are facing demotion after they set free several opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party activists who were arrested during a government crackdown last March. The six will be demoted from the rank of superintendent to inspector with effect from 31 July 2007.

The officers were last month hauled before the police disciplinary board for releasing the MDC supporters who had been arrested for protesting against the arrest and torture in police custody of MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai and othere in March.

Human rights groups accuse the Harare authorities of weeding out police officers suspected of being sympathetic to the opposition and replacing them with pliant, brainwashed youths from the controversial youth militia programme.

Source: Zim Online (ZW)
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SADC standards breached

• 2.1.3: Political tolerance;
• 4.1.1: Constitutional and legal guarantees of freedom and rights of citizens
• 4.1.2: Conducive environment for free, fair and peaceful elections
• 7.4: [The member state holding elections shall] Safeguard the human and civil liberties of all citizens …