THE 2016 murder charges pressed against outspoken Amalgamated Rural Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (Artuz) president Obert Masaraure (pictured) have triggered global condemnation.
MOSES MATENGA
An American organisation with membership of 12.5 million on Wednesday wrote to President Emmerson Mnangagwa demanding his unconditional release, while a South African-based pressure group also petitioned Southern African Development Community (Sadc) leaders over the matter.
In the letter to Mnangagwa dated 22 June 2022, the American Federation of Labour and Congress of Industrial Organisation’s international director Catherine Feingold described Masaraure’s arrest and detention as judicial harassment.
Another global organisation, Frontline De[1]fenders, has also petitioned Elias Magosi, the Sadc executive secretary, strongly condemning Masaraure’s arrest and urging the bloc to intervene and guarantee his release.
Frontline Defenders is headquartered in Dublin, with a European Union office in Brus[1]sels, and has regionally-based field staff in the Americas, Asia, Africa, Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East.
Masaraure was arrested on 14 June 2022 and charged with the murder of Roy Issa when he went to Harare Central Police Station for his routine remand bail hearing. Issa died in 2016 when he fell from the 7th floor of a Ha[1]rare hotel.
The circumstances surrounding the incident were heard by an inquest in 2016 at the Hara[1]re magistrates’ court which ruled out foul play. During the initial investigation into the incident, Masaraure was not interrogated or considered a witness as he said he was not present at the hotel at the time of the death.
Masaraure’s clashes with Mnangagwa’s administration have been centred on his role in organising protests by rural teachers over poor working conditions and measly salaries.
In her letter to Mnangagwa, Feingold said: “On behalf of the 12.5 million members of the AFL-CIO, the largest union federation in the United States, I write to express our deep concern on the continued violation of worker and human rights in your country, including the detention of Obert Masaraure. “. . . The recent incident is part of a pattern of violations against Artuz and its members which started in December 2018 and have continued to escalate. These incidents come in a context of harassment and detentions com[1]mitted against rights defenders in Zimbabwe in reprisal for their work on the rights to ed[1]ucation in rural areas, labour and other civil rights.”
She further implored Mnangagwa to “immediately and unconditionally release Obert Masaraure” and “cease targeting all human rights defenders in Zimbabwe, and guarantee in all circumstances that all human rights.
An American organisation with member[1]ship of 12.5 million on Wednesday wrote to President Emmerson Mnangagwa demanding his unconditional release, while a South African-based pressure group also petitioned Southern African Development Community (Sadc) leaders over the matter.
In the letter to Mnangagwa dated 22 June 2022, the American Federation of Labour and Congress of Industrial Organisation’s international director Catherine Feingold described Masaraure’s arrest and detention as judicial harassment.
Another global organisation, Frontline Defenders, has also petitioned Elias Magosi, the Sadc executive secretary, strongly condemning Masaraure’s arrest and urging the bloc to intervene and guarantee his release.
Frontline Defenders is headquartered in Dublin, with a European Union office in Brussels, and has regionally-based field staff in the Americas, Asia, Africa, Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East.
Masaraure was arrested on 14 June 2022 and charged with the murder of Roy Issa when he went to Harare Central Police Station for his routine remand bail hearing. Issa died in 2016 when he fell from the 7th floor of a Harare hotel.
The circumstances surrounding the incident were heard by an inquest in 2016 at the Hara[1]re magistrates’ court which ruled out foul play. During the initial investigation into the incident, Masaraure was not interrogated or considered a witness as he said he was not present at the hotel at the time of the death.
Masaraure’s clashes with Mnangagwa’s administration have been centred on his role in organising protests by rural teachers over poor working conditions and measly salaries. In her letter to Mnangagwa, Feingold said: “On behalf of the 12.5 million members of the AFL-CIO, the largest union federation in the United States, I write to express our deep concern on the continued violation of worker and human rights in your country, including the detention of Obert Masaraure.
“. . . The recent incident is part of a pattern of violations against Artuz and its members which started in December 2018 and have continued to escalate. These incidents come in a context of harassment and detentions committed against rights defenders in Zimbabwe in reprisal for their work on the rights to education in rural areas, labour and other civil rights.”
She further implored Mnangagwa to “immediately and unconditionally release Obert Masaraure” and “cease targeting all human rights defenders in Zimbabwe, and guarantee in all circumstances that all human rights.
