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Hearings & Briefings

Human Rights in Zimbabwe

Briefing Thursday, October 18, 2012 2:00 PM Room 2237 of the Rayburn House Office Building

This briefing will take place at 2:00 PM on 10/18/2012, in Room 2237 of the Rayburn House Office Building.
The briefing is open to members of Congress, congressional staff, the media and the interested public.

Thursday, October 18, 2012
2:00 PM
Room 2237 of the Rayburn House Office Building
Please join the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission for a briefing on the human rights situation in Zimbabwe.

In 2008, around 200 people were killed and thousands injured in the wake of political elections in Zimbabwe. After the opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai from Movement for Democratic Change-Tsvangirai (MDC-T), pulled out of the elections due to violence and intimidation of his supporters, Robert Gabriel Mugabe eventually took power in what was widely condemned as a sham election. Due to widespread criticism, a government of national unity was formed with Mugabe’s party, Zimbabwe Africa National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), and the opposition parties in 2009. While the government promised major reforms, these have yet to be implemented.

In the lead up to the referendum on a new constitution next month and the presidential elections tentatively scheduled for March 2013, there is growing concern that human rights violations will increase in the country. Reports suggest there has already been an increasing crackdown on the opposition including: assault and harassment of civil society groups, arrests of peaceful protestors, persecution of journalists and human rights defenders and the use of repressive defamation laws to prevent criticism of Mugabe or the government.

The panelists will provide an overview of the current situation in Zimbabwe and discuss how the upcoming referendum and elections next year may affect the human rights situation in the country.
Sarah Hager, Chair of the Southern Africa Co-Group, Amnesty International and Adjunct Professor of International Relations at American University

Ann Hollingsworth, Senior Analyst, US Advocacy and Research, International Crisis Group

Vukasin Petrovic, Director of Programs in sub-Saharan Africa, Freedom House

 

Contact the Commission

Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission
House Committee on Foreign Affairs
2170 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
United States of America

+1-202-225-3599
TLHRC@mail.house.gov

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Questions with regard to special accommodations in general (including availability of Commission materials in alternative formats and assistive listening devices, sign language interpretation, etc.) may be directed to the Commission.

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