20 down or forced to withstand the beatings. Falanga, of course is impossible to inflict without compelling the victim to remain still or by holding the victim still. Rupturing of the eardrums rarely occurs during fighting since it requires percussive blows to the ears. It is not a blow per se that causes the injury, but it is the deliberate percussion (usually with a cupped hand) that causes the rupture. The medical evidence clearly supports the testimony of the victims, and in many cases is corroborated by the statements of family members. Furthermore, the evidence from these cases conforms to the reports of other independent investigations. It is also important to note that victims reported more than one form of torture. The perpetrators are generally those identified as those commonly reported in earlier reports. Table 21. Perpetrators identified by victims. Perpetrator Zanu(PF) supporters Youth militia Zimbabwe Republic Police MDC War veterans Zimbabwe National Army Unknown Percentage 46% 29% 12% 5% 4% 2% 2% It is important to note that not all the violence in Zimbabwe is perpetrated by the state or ruling party supporters. However the percentage of violence perpetrated by the opposition MDC is relatively small, and furthermore the evidence available to the Amani Trust does not indicated the use of systematic torture. The significant change observed during the Presidential election is the increased number of cases in which the youth militia are implicated. This has been noted in many other recent reports. There seemed to be significantly higher percentage of cases involving the Zimbabwe Republic Police, and much of this seemed to occur during the post-election period when there was a purge on opposition party polling agents and election officials. 7.2 Conclusions In many ways the individual cases reported in the accompanying dossier will speak for themselves, but they cannot however give any estimate of the prevalence of torture during 2002. This evidence thoroughly supports the conclusion that systematic torture is being used in Zimbabwe, although there has been a significant decline in the past month. The evidence also suggests that torture techniques have been taught to various groups in Zimbabwe. This is clearly suggested by the increased use of falanga, as well as by the types of beatings inflicted and the instruments employed. All of the injuries suggest the deliberate infliction of pain and suffering with an intention not to kill or maim, but rather an intention to punish or terrify. And this was done in an attempt to influence an election: the victims were all told that their political associations or beliefs were unacceptable. The victims were frequently told to give up their associations and beliefs and were frequently told that their political party would not be allowed to win the Presidential election. This all conforms to the definition of torture contained in the UN Convention Against Torture. The Amani Trust has previously deprecated this situation, and in a recent report made a number of recommendations. We can only reiterate these recommendations: AMANI TRUST: Beating your opposition. Torture during the 2002 Presidential campaign in Zimbabwe.