Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum: Report on Organised Violence and Torture in 1999 BS & AM They are brother and sister. BS was arrested by police officers after protesting against the Epworth Local Board for destroying her house and crops. Policemen at Hatfield Police Station struck her with clenched fists, boots and a stick. After hearing of his sister’s arrest AM went to the station where he was also detained and beaten with a truncheon under his feet. The Human Rights Legal Unit is now awaiting a PreTrial Conference date from the Registrar of the High Court. PZ PZ was assaulted by members of the Zimbabwe Republic Police after he had been overheard making comments about alleged corruption by the police. He was dragged off by an armed policeman and then beaten with rifle butts and truncheons, slapped and kicked with boots. The assaults stopped when Security Guards at a shop nearby heard his screams and came to his assistance. The policemen ran away. He made a statement at Matapi Police Station and his statement was corroborated by several witnesses. RM & NZ These two gentlemen were taken to Nyamweda Police Station in Mhondoro as suspects in a theft of maize grain case. They were beaten with truncheons, iron bars, plaited electric wires and a hosepipe. NZ apparently received a much more severe beating and died 9 days after being released from police custody. The Death Certificate issued shows that death was caused by injuries to the multiple tissue caused by a blunt object. PM He was assaulted on his back, buttocks, under his feet and all over his body by police officers who were investigating a case of theft of money from his employer. He was handcuffed with his hands at the back. His legs were forced between the handcuffs whereupon the policemen started assaulting him with a truncheon under his feet. FN He was assaulted on his back, buttocks, under his feet and all over his body by police officers who were investigating a case of theft. MM, RM, EK & LM These men are related to each other. They were arrested by police in Bulawayo on allegations of theft of a motor vehicle. They were arrested at different times but they all complained of being locked in a car boot and being assaulted. They were kept at Bulawayo Central Police Station for 5 days. They were later transferred to Harare where they were released without being charged. EL He was seen by policemen waiting at a tuckshop in Chitungwiza. He was dragged and shoved into the back of a police van. On the way to the station he was assaulted. He was dragged into a holding cell. He was later released after paying a $50.00 fine, presumably for loitering. 7. Conclusions Although gross human rights violations are always a cause for concern the context is always of enormous importance. Gross human rights violations occurring against a background of socio-economic stability and good governance are clearly a very different matter to such events occurring within a conflict situation or in a rapidly destabilising situation. In the latter situation there is usually the prospect of an increase sometimes a massive increase - as in the case of Rwanda or Sierra Leone - and this requires all concerned persons to consider emergency action. The situation in Zimbabwe is undoubtedly a cause for major concern. Since the formation of the Human Rights Forum - in the midst of riots and civil disturbance - the socio-political situation has been - 11 -