Pastor Evan Mawarire must be immediately and unconditionally released
Paris-Geneva, February 2, 2017 - Arrested uponreturn to Zimbabwe, prominent anti-corruption and human rights defender PastorEvan Mawarire must be immediately and unconditionally released, the Observatoryfor the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (an FIDH-OMCT partnership) saystoday.
On February 1, 2017, Pastor Evan Mawarire wascharged by the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) with “subverting a constitutionalgovernment”[1].The ZRP claims that the cleric has been “inciting Zimbabweans from all walks of life either locally orinternationally to revolt and overthrow a constitutionally elected government”.That includes allegations that Pastor Evan Mawarire has incited someZimbabweans living in the USA and “all over the world” through social media toconverge in New York on September 22, 2016 to “confront” President Mugabe, whowas attending the United Nations General Assembly and order him to “immediately”resign from his position accusing him of destroying the country.
“Authorities wereclearly waiting for Pastor Evan Mawarire’s return to continue harassing him. Hecannot set foot in his own country without being arrested, that says a lot aboutthe situation of those who dare to denounce corruption and human rightsviolations in Zimbabwe,” saidArnold Tsunga, FIDH Vice President.
Pastor Evan Mawarire, who has been on self-imposedexile to the United States for the past seven months, led last year’s #ThisFlagprotests[2]which encouraged Zimbabweans via social media to hold protests againstPresident Robert Mugabe, accusing him of corruption and causing the economiccrisis.
As a result, in July 2016, Pastor Evan Mawarire wasarrested and charged with “inciting public violence”. The public prosecutorthen altered the charges to “attempting to overthrow a constitutionalgovernment”. However, the Harare Magistrate Vakai Chikwekwe ruled that ZRPofficers had violated his constitutional rights in arresting and detaining himand that the prosecutor acted in violation of the Constitution by bringing newcharges against Pastor Evan Mawarire while in court.
President Mugabe himself publicly attacked Pastor EvanMawarire accusing him of being a “great shame” and a “disgrace” for “allowinghimself to demonstrate against the country”.
“Leading peaceful protests aiming at exposing badgovernance which affects the rights of the population is nowhere close toconstituting a crime. Pastor Evan Mawarire should be immediately andunconditionally released,” concludedGerald Staberock, OMCT Secretary General.
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (theObservatory) was created in 1997 by FIDH and the World Organisation AgainstTorture (OMCT). The objective of this programme is to prevent or remedysituations of repression against human rights defenders. FIDH and OMCT are bothmembers of ProtectDefenders.eu, the European Union Human Rights Defenders Mechanism implemented byinternational civil society.
[1] Section 22 (2) (a) ofthe Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, Chapter 9:23.
[2] The #ThisFlag movementstarted after Pastor Evan Mawarire posted a video on Facebook in which heappeared with the Zimbabwean flag around his neck and denounced the country’sworsening economic crisis.