Harare. No arrests were made despite a heavy police presence.8 The police remain under the leadership of Augustine Chihuri, a self-proclaimed ZANU-PF supporter. On July 22, 2009, a group of suspected ZANU-PF activists in Mvuma assaulted Athanacia Mlilo, the 73-year-old mother of the MDC’s international relations coordinator, Nqobizitha Mlilo. They attacked Athanacia Mlilo with iron bars, and she was admitted for urgent medical attention at Mvuma hospital.9 On August 1, 2009, three soldiers assaulted Finance Minister Tendai Biti’s gardener at Biti’s home in Harare. The victim, Howard Makonza, was rushed to the hospital.10 While Makonza was reporting the assault at a police station, one of the soldiers who had assaulted him threatened—in the presence of the police—to assault Makonza again.11 The Zimbabwe Defense Forces remain under the control of generals who support ZANU-PF, and in all the above cases, police either refused or failed to investigate these attacks despite credible allegations of criminal actions.12 This kind of police and army misconduct is consistent with previous Human Rights Watch findings in recent years.13 Biti himself recently told the media that he has been the target of death threats, including having received a bullet in the mail at his home.14 Ongoing human rights abuses are not restricted to attacks on MDC supporters. On July 26, 2009, police arrested 12 members of the local civil society organization Restoration of Human Rights (ROHR) and three members of the public for taking part in a public protest against Mugabe’s three-day national healing and reconciliation program, which, according to the president, was supposed to counter political violence.15 8 Tichaona Sibanda, “Drama as ZANU-PF disrupts all stakeholders conference in Harare,” SW Radio Africa, July 13, 2009, http://www.swradioafrica.com/news130709/drama130709.htm (accessed July 17, 2009). 9 Human Rights Watch telephone interview with N.C., MDC Official, Harare, July 29, 2009. See also MDC Weekly Bulletin, July 28, 2009, emailed to Human Rights Watch. 10 Zimbabwe Democracy Now, http://www.zimbabwedemocracynow.com/2009/08/02/degrees-in-violence/ (accessed August 3, 2009). 11 David Smith, “Zimbabwe minister Tendai Biti reveals assassination fears,” Guardian (UK), August 6, 2009, http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/aug/06/zimbabwe-tendai-biti-assassination-fears (accessed August 6, 2009). 12 Human Rights Watch telephone interviews with three lawyers familiar with the cases C.M., H.N., and T.M., August 5, 2009. 13 Human Rights Watch, “Our Hands Are Tied,” p. 27. 14 Smith, “Zimbabwe minister Tendai Biti reveals assassination fears,” Guardian (UK). 15 Restoration of Human Rights, Zimbabwe (ROHR) statement, July 26, 2009, http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk (accessed July 27, 2009). False Dawn 6