Zimbabwe police still beating, torturing opponents: Amnesty

LONDON (AFP) - Zimbabwean police are still beating and torturing human rights activists and opponents of the government despite mediation efforts launched by fellow African nations, Amnesty International said Friday.

Researchers from the human rights group who have just returned from Zimbabwe said they had "identified specific police units responsible for most of the human rights violations."

Amnesty's statement comes amid a mediation process between the government and opposition leaders, facilitated by South African President Thabo Mbeki for the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), aimed at resolving the political impasse there.

According to Amnesty's research, the severity of beatings and torture of political opponents had actually increased since the process began.

"We have collected evidence from a wide range of sources, including victims, doctors and lawyers, showing how some units -- particularly the Law and Order Section -- within the Zimbabwean police enjoy total impunity for human rights violations perpetrated against government critics," said Simeon Mawanza, Amnesty's researcher on Zimbabwe.

"Police stop small demonstrations by just scores of human rights defenders. Once in police custody, human rights defenders and MDC (the opposition Movement for Democratic Change) members are severely assaulted and denied access to lawyers, food and medical care."

Amnesty said that the SADC mediation process should make human rights a higher priority, and called on the bloc's leaders to push the Zimbabwean government to ensure that the police respect human rights.

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