Zimbabwe government abuses critics, allege rights groups Human rights groups warn that critics of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government are finding themselves thrown in jail and denied bailHARARE, Zimbabwe -- Godfrey Kurauone, a Zimbabwean opposition official, sang a protest song at the funeral of a party member in July. Some have been abducted and tortured, according to human rights groups. It appears the government is using restrictions imposed to combat the coronavirus to suppress political criticism, say human rights defenders. “While the government lockdown has been extended indefinitely, human rights violations have steadily increased, suggesting that the government is using COVID-19 as a cover for violating fundamental freedoms and attacking perceived opponents,” said the local human rights group Zimrights in a joint statement with the International Federation for Human Rights. Opposition officials, human rights groups and some analysts accuse Mnangagwa of abusing the rights of critics, using tactics as harsh as his predecessor, the late Robert Mugabe.

Source: ABC News September 15, 2020 08:03 UTC