statements by President Mugabe supporting the actions of the police in the case of the ZCTU activists, and threatening the use of force to quell demonstrations, only serve to highlight the culture of impunity that exists in the country: In addition to the statement quoted at the opening of this report, Mugabe in a speech on August 15, 2006, marking Defence Forces Day, responded to calls for peaceful protests by the opposition by stating, “We want to remind those that might turn on the state that we have armed men and women that carry guns and are allowed to pull the trigger on them.”58 To Human Rights Watch’s knowledge, the government has not investigated, prosecuted, or disciplined any security officials or police officers for their role in the torture and abuse of detainees documented in this report. However, in the case of the 15 trade unionists, the judge who saw them in court on September 15 ordered an immediate investigation into the allegations of torture and other mistreatment.59 The police initially declared that they would investigate the allegations, but later denied the charges of torture, claiming that the activists had fallen out of a police vehicle and sustained their injuries at the time.60 Medical records viewed by Human Rights Watch and testimony of medical experts, as noted above, as well as the testimony of human rights lawyers who saw the victims soon after the incidents indicate otherwise. The records show that all of the injuries sustained by the victims were made by a blunt object, which corroborates the victims’ claims that they were beaten on the head, arms and back with batons. Moreover, according to medical experts who spoke to Human Rights Watch, the nature of the fractures that some of the detainees sustained is not consistent with falling from a vehicle. During a second hearing of the case on October 3, Judge William Bhila dismissed police denials of torture and ordered a full independent investigation into the 58 “Mugabe: Zimbabwe Army Ready to 'Pull Trigger' On Insurrection,” VOA news, August 15, 2006, http://www.voanews.com/english/Africa/Zimbabwe/2006-08-15-voa74.cfm (accessed August 16, 2006). Mugabe’s remarks were translated from shona in the news report. 59 Human Rights Watch interviews with human rights lawyers representing the trade unionists, Harare, September 22 and October 4, 2006. As noted above, Wellington Chibebe was unable to attend the September 15 court hearing. 60 Police statements shown to Human Rights Watch by lawyer Alec Muchadehama on October 4, 2006, deny the allegations of torture. See also “Police defy magistrates order to investigate claims,” IRINnews, October 6, 2006, http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=55856 (accessed October 6, 2006). “you will be thoroughly beaten” 22