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Amnesty International on Monday urged Zimbabwean authorities to indiscriminately guarantee freedom of expression and safety during upcoming public hearings on proposed constitutional amendments.
Speaking ahead of the public hearings on the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No 3) Bill, 2026, Vongai Chikwanda, Amnesty’s deputy regional director for east and southern Africa, said past incidents of violence and suppression of dissenting voices should prompt authorities to ensure all participants can freely express their views and assemble without fear of intimidation, harassment, assault, or arrest.
Past incidents of violence against opponents to the proposed constitutional amendment have raised concern as hearings approach. Opposition figures such as Jacob Ngarivhume and Tendai Biti reported harassment and threats after publicly criticizing the proposed amendment and were later subjected to arbitrary arrest and physically assaulted. Groups like Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights fear that hearings would be symbolic rather than substantive, with citizens unable to speak freely due to the violation of human rights since the gazetting of the bill.
Amnesty emphasized freedom of expression and peaceful assembly as cornerstones of democratic governance. Public hearings, by their nature, require an environment where citizens can speak openly without fear of reprisal. The organization said these violent acts shut down “genuine participation, accountability, and rule of law.”
In Zimbabwe, Article 61 of the Constitution guarantees freedom of speech, assembly, and association. Ensuring safety at public hearings is a substantive requirement of lawful governance. Zimbabwe is also a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which require respect for rights to expression and assembly.
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Speaking ahead of the public hearings on the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No 3) Bill, 2026, Vongai Chikwanda, Amnesty’s deputy regional director for east and southern Africa, said past incidents of violence and suppression of dissenting voices should prompt authorities to ensure all participants can freely express their views and assemble without fear of intimidation, harassment, assault, or arrest.
Past incidents of violence against opponents to the proposed constitutional amendment have raised concern as hearings approach. Opposition figures such as Jacob Ngarivhume and Tendai Biti reported harassment and threats after publicly criticizing the proposed amendment and were later subjected to arbitrary arrest and physically assaulted. Groups like Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights fear that hearings would be symbolic rather than substantive, with citizens unable to speak freely due to the violation of human rights since the gazetting of the bill.
Amnesty emphasized freedom of expression and peaceful assembly as cornerstones of democratic governance. Public hearings, by their nature, require an environment where citizens can speak openly without fear of reprisal. The organization said these violent acts shut down “genuine participation, accountability, and rule of law.”
In Zimbabwe, Article 61 of the Constitution guarantees freedom of speech, assembly, and association. Ensuring safety at public hearings is a substantive requirement of lawful governance. Zimbabwe is also a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which require respect for rights to expression and assembly.
The post Amnesty International urges Zimbabwe to protect civic rights during constitutional hearings appeared first on JURIST - News.
Continue reading...
Note: We don't have any responsibilities about this news. Its been posted here by Feed Reader and we had no controls and checking on it. And because News posted here will be deleted automatically after 21 days, threads are closed so that no one spend time to post and discuss here. You can always check the source and discuss in their site.