Zimbabwe: Human rights overview

Updated April 2005

The Constitution of Zimbabwe guarantees Human Rights, including the right to life, liberty, security of the person and the protection of the law, freedom of conscience, expression, assembly and association, protection of privacy and from deprivation of property.

In contrast with these previsions are the recurrent charges of intimidation of opposition supporters, assaults the freedom of press and measures to curtail the independence of the judiciary against the government and its supporters.

Allegations have been leveled against the government of illegal detentions, torture, abuse of detainees, deportation, illegal seizures of white-owned land, restrictions on freedom of assembly, speech and association, and of political killings.

The period 2004 - 2005 has seen an abatement of accusations of violence and intimidation of every kind by the government and hard-line ZANU PF supporters.

This relative calm has been accompanied by electoral reforms that have received with mixed responses from opposition members, civil society bodies and foreign commentators.