When Mohammed Bouaziz set fire to himself, he unwittingly lit a wave of popular uprisings and riots, which spread like wildfire across North Africa and the Middle East, the heat from it can be felt in such distant countries as Zimbabwe, where on Saturday 19 February 1946 activists supporting democracy including students, workers and trade unionists were arrested in Harare. According to police documents, they were arrested for plotting to carry out the rebellion, like Egypt to topple Robert Mugabewho is in power since 1980, in a meeting to discuss the fall of Hosni Mubarak, and events in North Africa and the Middle East.
Those arrested, who represent Zimbabwe Federation of Trade Unions (ZCTU), Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZNSU) and the International Socialist Organization (ISO), just watched the documentary news stories of the revolt in Egypt and, according to the state prosecutors were there to "organize, develop plan and carry out the overthrow of constitutional order in Zimbabwe ... on the Egyptian scenario.
It is reported that at least eight of the detainees, which the government considered the instigators, was beaten and tortured in prison.Among those arrested was HIV-positive woman who was denied medical treatment. One of the arrested women also underwent a serious operation on the brain in the past year, she was beaten during detention as one of the alleged leaders. Another broke his leg during the arrest.
After four nights spent in the central prison in Harare, 46 people appeared in court on Wednesday, February 23, where in addition to charges of planning to overthrow the government by unconstitutional means, for which he could face up to 20 years in prison, they were also accused of treason, punishable by can be a death sentence.
According to sources in Zimbabwe, the regime's propaganda machine is working at high speed to slander their arrested comrades and to intimidate the public.With the proliferation of popular uprisings and revolts against authoritarian and undemocraticregimes that swept North Africa and the Middle East, there is reason to believe that Butcher Bob and his cronies concerned that inspiration and an example of spontaneous uprising of the exploited and oppressed against the anti-democratic regimes can spread to the south, igniting the uprising that threatens to fall most Mugabe.
It seems that looking at what is happening with dictatorships and authoritarian regimes north, Mugabe and his cronies may get nervous, and intend to punish those arrested for the edification of others, to ease the existing traffic and struggle, but also to enable people to understand would not tolerate resistance.What to overthrow Mugabe will not be as easy as Mubarak. This is evidenced by a new charge of treason.
46 people were arrested in Harare, because they saw a dim light of hope in the grand events in North Africa and the Middle East, despite all the weaknesses and contradictions that might be there. Hopes for the fact that ordinary people, workers, students, unemployed and disadvantaged have the power to build pyramids for the Pharaohs ... but also that we do have a force capable of overthrowing them.To overthrow tyrants. They were arrested because their hopes of Mugabe, his henchmen and tyrants wherever they see their reflection pursuing their own despotic regimes compared with the ground.
We also have hope. We hope that the fire of indignation and revolt spread, its impact goes deeper and stronger with each passing day. Since the doors are open to new ideas and opportunities, we hope that people will work on the approval of freedoms and benefits received during the fight, and go forward in our struggle is not allowing political parties, politicians or authoritarian and opportunistic leaders capture their movement.
We also hope that the emerging movement will grow more confident in the fight, they will open wider, more distant horizons of social change.
Holding out our hands in solidarity with 46 activists arrested in Zimbabwe, we call all anarchists and social revolutionaries, activists and seekers of genuine freedom infor the world to show solidarity with those who had been arrested, beaten and tortured in Zimbabwe, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia and other countries for their courage in seeking a better future, a future of dignity, freedom and hope.
We demand the immediate and unconditional release of 46 detainees in Harare! Demand to remove from them all the charges!
Demand the immediate and unconditional release of all those who were arrested during the riots in Egypt, Tunisia, Libya and elsewhere.
Signed:
Federazione dei Comunisti Anarchici (Italy)
Grupo Antorcha Libertaria (Colombia)
Hombre y Sociedad (Chile)
Libertære Socialister (Denmark)
Melbourne Anarchist Communist Group (Australia)
Organisation Socialiste Libertaire (Switzerland)
Red Libertaria de Buenos Aires (Argentina)
Unión Socialista Libertaria (Peru)
Workers Solidarity Alliance (USA)
Zabalaza Anarchist Communist Front (South Africa)
Workers Solidarity Movement (Ireland)
Common Cause (Canada)
Original (English): International Anarchist Statement in Solidarity with Zimbabwe's Treason Trialists
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