Human rights group uncovers evidence of torture in Zimbabwe

doi:10.1136/bmj.324.7333.317

BMJ 2002;324:317 ( 9 February )

News

Human rights group uncovers evidence of torture in Zimbabwe

Annabel Ferriman, BMJ
The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Evidence of severe torture in Zimbabwe, which is experiencing unrest in the weeks leading up to the country's presidentialelection in March, has been uncovered by a human rightsorganisation.

A delegation from Physicians for Human Rights, Denmark, which visited Zimbabwe last month, has reported finding "a seriesof persons who gave consistent and similar accounts of exposureto torture." Members interviewed 14 people, of whom four wereclassified as torture victims, while another four gave accountsof ill treatment, one of whom was a sitting MP. The four torturevictims had physical wounds consistent with the accounts of theirtreatment.

The group, which has published its report on a website sponsored by the Zimbabwe Democracy Trust, says it is "very concernedabout the politicisation of health care and the harassment ofhuman rights organisations offering treatment to victims of politicalviolence."

Dr Hans Draminsky Petersen, who led the delegation, told . . . [Full text of this article]