The authorities used COVID-19 regulations to justify severe restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. They deployed security forces to abduct, assault and torture perceived critics, and opposition members and leaders. Police and security agents killed at least 10...

On 17 May, six University of Zimbabwe students, Benjamin Watadza, Emmanuel Chitima, Comfort Mpofu, Lionel Madamombe, Gamuchirai Chaburumunda and Darlington Chigwena, were arrested for staging a peaceful protest in Harare, Zimbabwe’s capital. The protest aimed to demand an end to the persecution of...

Sixteen men, known as the ‘Nyatsime 16’, including two opposition members of parliament, were arrested in June for allegedly protesting the murder of an opposition activist during their funeral and charged with inciting public violence. They have been detained for over 130 days without trial and...

On 5 November 2021, the Zimbabwe government gazetted a Private Voluntary Organisation Amendment Bill to counter terrorism and prohibit political lobbying from non-government organisations. Following public consultations and submissions from various stakeholders, an amended bill was presented in...

Opposition activists Joana Mamombe, Netsai Marova and Cecillia Chimbiri, together with their lawyer, were rearrested by the police on 31 July whilst on their way to Harare Central Police Station where they were scheduled to report as part of bail conditions. Joana Mamombe and Netsai Marova were...

The three activists, Joana Mamombe, Cecelia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova who were abducted, sexually violated and tortured in May 2020, were released on bail following their appeal to the High Court. The activists were arrested on 10 June, a few days after being discharged from hospital. Adding to...

On 13 May, three opposition activists, member of parliament Joana Mamombe, Cecillia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova, were arrested at a police roadblock in Harare, Zimbabwe’s capital, for leading an anti-government protest over the authorities’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic and widespread hunger in...

On 19 September 2019, Dr Peter Magombeyi, a medical doctor was found alive and disoriented, dumped about 33 km out of Harare in a placed called Nyabira. Dr Magombeyi was abducted on the night of 14 September 2019. He said he was held in a basement where he was tortured. There are fears that he...

Dr Peter Magombeyi, a medical doctor and Acting President of the Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association (ZHDA), was abducted on the night of 14 September. He had been receiving threats from suspected members of the Central Intelligence Organisation warning him to stop his involvement in a doctor’s...

The trial of seven activists, charged with treason for attending a training in the Maldives, has yet to begin due to the authorities’ lack of preparedness. The activists have appeared in court three times and the next court date is on 1 August. The activists were released between 7 and 10 June on...

Seven activists, arrested on different dates, are facing charges of treason after they attended a training organised by the Center for Non-Violence Action and Strategies (CANVAS) in the Maldives. Five of the activists have already appeared in court and are remanded in custody until 6 June. The...

Activist Rashid Mahiya and opposition Members of Parliament Charlton Hwende and Joanna Mamombe are awaiting trial on the charge of ‘subverting a constitutional government’. The charge attracts a sentence of more than 20 years in prison. All three have been released on bail and are awaiting trial.

Activist Rashid Mahiya and Members of Parliament with the opposition, Joanna Mamombe and Charlton Hwende were arrested on different dates in Zimbabwe. All three have been charged with ‘subverting a constitutional government’ which attracts a sentence of more than 20 years in prison. This charge is...