Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights (Harare) - AllAfrica.com

Since the last study on the 25th of April, our members have got reported a dramatic escalation in incidents of organised force and torment with the figure of victims documented in the station election time period now standing at over 900.

This figure grossly underestimations the figure of victims presenting countrywide as the force is now on such as a scale of measurement that it is impossible to properly document all cases. There have got got been 22 confirmed deceases but at least dual that figure have been reported but are yet to be confirmed. It is alleged that some of those killed have got been buried on the orders of state agents before certification can take place.

There have got been a dramatic addition in force since the beginning of May. Inch the last 24 hours alone, 30 victims of force have been treated for limb breaks in Salisbury infirmaries and clinics and stores of Plaster of City Of Light bandages are reported to be exhausted in most wellness centres.

One infirmary in Salisbury have treated an norm of 23 victims a twenty-four hours over the last week. On the 8th of May, there were a sum 53 more than seriously injured patients (13 females and 40 males) admitted to wards in 3 Salisbury hospitals. These included 1 30 twelvemonth old adult male on life support in the intensive attention unit of measurement with severe, irreversible caput hurts and a 30 twelvemonth old adult male with terrible soft tissue hurts to the nates and secondary nephritic failure, also on life support. Both of these patients died later that day. Also admitted was a 3yr old male child with injury to his Roentgen oculus from being struck with a stone and a 78 twelvemonth old adult male with a fractured less leg from blunt trauma. One immature breast-feeding female parent had isobilateral breaks of her custody and was not able to throw her babe to feed her. Among the other patients, 20 had defensive, forearm or manus fractures, 5 had leg breaks and 1 fractured ribs. Fourteen patients had terrible hurts to the nates from blunt injury which required surgery for the remotion of necrotic (dead) tissue. The culprits in all lawsuits were alleged by the victims to be warfare veteran soldiers and Zanu PF supporters. Similar forms of hurts are being reported from other hospitals.

As emphasised in the former ZADHR reports, the lawsuits documented by our members stand for only a fraction of the sum figure countrywide. ZADHR is concerned that many victims of current force are not receiving treatment. Numerous incidents of force are beingness reported from distant rural countries where there is no entree to transport and there are also widespread studies of the injured being denied treatment at wellness Centres where staff have got been intimidated and/or are acting under specific instruction manual from state agents not to handle victims of violence. It was reported from one territory (Headlands) that medical attention was being provided only if the victim had a missive from the police force authorising this. Accounts have got also been received of ambulances, sent to accumulate seriously injured victims, being turned away by warfare veterans.

Under these circumstances, it is likely that many of those with less terrible hurts are not seeking medical attention. This looks to be confirmed by increasing studies of victims presenting with complications such as as lesion infections or contaminated hematomas which are directly attributable to delayed treatment.

Doctors and nursing staff at rural infirmaries are working under statuses of terrible emphasis and many wellness workers have got reported bullying with some having been specifically instructed by state agents not to handle resistance supporters. These wellness workers, who, according to some studies are treating up to 60 victims of torment and force a day, are emotionally traumatised and depressed. One nursing sister treating victims in a rural clinic was observed to be shaking so violently with fearfulness that she was not able to write.

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Government spokespeople have got got repeatedly claimed that they have not received studies of force or of deceases from the police. However, there is grounds that the police force themselves are being intimidated. ZADHR have eyewitness statements that on the 24th of April, at Mayo Police Station in Headlands District, a high-ranking police military officer from Salisbury physically assaulted the Member in Charge, accusing him of being sympathetic to the opposition. The police force station had been taking statements from victims and referring them for medical treatment. The Member in Charge was summarily transferred out of the district.

The current form of organized torment and force being perpetrated by state agents in the rural countries of Republic Of Zimbabwe is similar to that documented prior to the 2002 elections. However, the current force is dramatically more than intensive and unrestrained. The degree of ferociousness and unfeelingness exhibited by the culprits is unprecedented and the barbarous and fearful onslaughts by so called warfare veteran soldiers on women, children and the aged shames the memory of all true hard roes of the release struggle.

It have been clearly documented that much of the force have been specifically directed against members of the resistance party, particularly those who acted as election agents or monitoring devices in the recent elections. Villagers and school instructors from territories where the resistance predominated in the elections have got got also been targeted even though they have no political affiliations. Without exception, victims treated by our members have got identified the culprits either as warfare veterans, armed security military unit members or Zanu PF young person reserves or varying combinations of the three. The few Acts of force attributable to resistance members look to have got been retaliatory or defensive.

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