Zimbabwe – Attack on Legal Professionals

We deplore the Government of Zimbabwe's May 8 attack on lawyers who were protesting the detention of two human rights lawyers this past weekend. The government's assault on the legal profession and the rule of law is part of its continuing effort to suppress all opposition in advance of next year's election. Such actions are contrary to establishing the conditions for the free and fair elections Zimbabwe needs to bring an end to its crisis. Over 30 members of the democratic opposition have been arrested in the past six weeks and remain in custody. Many of them have been refused access to legal counsel and some are in critical medical condition as a result of beatings inflicted upon them by government security forces. We call on the Government of Zimbabwe to respect the rule of law and the rights of all Zimbabweans.

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