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Political Prisoners in Zimbabwe
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| The history of these men, their arrest and judicial convictions are a violation of the Geneva Convention for the treatment of Prisoners of War and amount to a litany of abuse of their fundamental human rights, as enshrined in the UN International Bill of Human Rights. The UN Body of Principles for the Protection of all Persons under Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment 1989 is very clear on this aspect. Principle 3 states that there shall be no restriction upon human rights of any person under detention or imprisonment, i.e. a person does not shed his human rights at the gate to the prison. |
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| Woods, Smith and Conjwayo were sentenced to death in November 1988. They spent 5 years in solitary confinement and were allowed ½ an hour out of their small concrete cells each morning and afternoon. Shortly after conviction, they were forced to spend one and a half years naked. Even during the winter they had no clothing and no blankets. They spent 21 months without sunlight. They were allowed to receive 1 letter per month. They were allowed to write only 1 single-page letter per month. They were permitted one visit from one family member per month. Visits at Chikurubi are of 15 minutes duration and are carried out on monitored and tape-recorded telephones through double glass. After 2 years on Death Row they successfully obtained relief from the Supreme Court in Zimbabwe to double their time out of their cells each day. |
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| These men were reprieved in December 1993 after successfully appealing to the Zimbabwe Supreme Court, claiming that 5 years in these conditions physically and mentally amounted to cruel and inhuman treatment. |
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| In January 1997, prison authorities confiscated their Christmas parcels that had been legally admitted into the prison - an act of blatant discrimination as many common criminals retained their parcels. |
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| Since incarceration they have been allowed three food parcels a year. They have been able to receive enough food in these parcels, especially nutritional items such as peanut butter, dried fruit, etc. to eke out from one parcel to the next. They are proceeding through the Courts to obtain a Court Order to supplement their diets. |
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| On the 7th April 1997 the men were subject to a routine search by approximately 30 prison officers. The behaviour of these officers was deliberately aggressive and lewd: |
- Humiliating strip searches were conducted in front of other inmates.
- Lunch Boxes (supplied by the prison OIC for health reasons) were stamped upon and destroyed
- Medically authorised coir mattresses were thrown out on the rubbish pile.
- Pillows were torn and the contents strewn about the place amidst raucous, vicious laughter and glee.
- Their blankets were thrown all over the place and mixed up with the blankets of other inmates, which were contaminated by infected body fluids.
This is in conflict with Article 5 of the International Bill of Human Rights, which prohibits degrading behaviour |
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| On the 3rd October 1997 these men were granted relief by the Zimbabwe Supreme Court to be allowed to study. Prior to this they were not allowed to study, in contravention of Article 26 of the International Bill of Human Rights and Principle 28 of the UN Body of Principles 1989, which says that the state must provide study resources. |
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| These men are berated and criticised as having "superior being" attitudes (Zimbabwe Financial Gazette, 1st February 1996) because they wear beards and on occasion their hair is too long. The authorities have refused them their own hair clippers, purchased at their own expense. The men are apprehensive of the pair of clippers they are forced to use. |
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| As the prison is unable to cope financially they find themselves having to supply their own soap, toothpaste and cigarettes, all of which are supposed to be supplied by the state. These men all require dental treatment, which is being denied them, ostensibly for security reasons. They are also forced to supply most of their basic medicine and they are forced to pay for private medical treatment, otherwise they must go without. Principle 24 of the UN Body of Principles 1989 states that, a person under detention or imprisonment shall be provided medical treatment free of charge. All other common law prisoners in Chikurubi are given the best medical and dental treatment available at leading facilities. |
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| Bawden and Woods have developed medical problems that can not be treated in Zimbabwe (Thrombosis in leg and coronary heart disease respectively). Their specialists have recommended they be sent to countries where treatment is available - all to no avail. These men have to seek a Court order just to obtain their right to proper medical treatment, which is an extremely protracted and expensive exercise. |
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