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Nera targets individual 'brute' police officers

by Staff reporter
23 Sep 2016 at 07:30hrs | Views

Opposition political parties under the banner of the National Electoral Reform Agenda (Nera) are preparing to sue individual police officers implicated in the brutal attack of protesters in the on-going demonstrations for electoral reforms.

Nera head of legal affairs Douglas Mwonzora yesterday said the opposition parties were currently busy gathering evidence on police officers who have been mercilessly bludgeoning protesters.

A report by the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum also identified the police as the biggest perpetrators of human rights abuses, being liable for 64% of the 555 abuse cases so far recorded this month.

Police officers who have been identified brutalising protesters would be sued in their individual capacity,  National Electoral Reform Agenda (Nera) has said.

Nera is currently compiling a dossier and gathering evidence.

Social media has been awash with pictures of police officers using excessive force on protesters.

The police have, however, denied that they were violating human rights, insisting they would be responding to provocation.

Mwonzora said he would also sue the police for the teargasing of opposition political leaders at Harare Magistrates' Courts during the first Nera demonstration.

"We are already preparing lawsuits. We are not going back" Nera head of legal affairs Douglas Mwonzora is reported saying.

"The police officers violated people's rights instead of protecting them. They should be made to account for their actions".


Source - newsday