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Rights lawyers urge citizens to reject Zimbabwe's 'Logan Act'
29 Mar 2021 at 01:28hrs | Views
A HUMAN rights group has urged Zimbabweans to reject the ruling Zanu-PF party's plans to push through the Patriot Bill in Parliament, describing it as "undemocratic".
Zanu-PF chief whip Pupurai Togarepi recently introduced a motion in Parliament calling for the need to enact the Bill, which seeks to prohibit citizens from communicating messages intended to harm the image and reputation of the country on international platforms or engaging with foreign countries with the intention of harming the country's image, among others.
The Cabinet Committee on National Peace and Reconciliation in August 2020 tasked the Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs ministry to draft principles of the proposed law.
In October, 2020, Justice ministry secretary Virginia Mabhiza said the principles of the Patriot Bill had been drafted.
In a statement yesterday, Abammeli Lawyers for Human Rights said the proposed Bill would cause more harm to the image and reputation of the country on international platforms, adding it should be outrightly rejected as it was "undemocratic."
"Zimbabweans should use all constitutionally available means to oppose the introduction of a Patriot Bill because it would be undemocratic. It would be unreasonable. It would violate freedom of expression and freedom of the media. It would violate freedom to demonstrate and petition," the lawyers' network said.
"It would violate a number of political rights, including the right to make political choices freely, rights to join and to participate in the activities of a political party or organisation of one's choice to campaign freely for a political party or cause to challenge or support the policies of the government or any political or what-ever cause to stand for election and for public office if elected to hold such office," they said.
During his contribution on the proposed Bill in Parliament recently, Togarepi said Zimbabwe badly needed the law to "protect the Zimbabwean brand".
He said in the United States, there was a similar law called the Logan Act, which was promulgated in 1799 and criminalises negotiations through correspondence or communication by unauthorised American citizens with foreign governments that have a dispute with the US.
The Act was a direct response to the private efforts by the late US politician George Logan to negotiate peace between America and France during an undeclared naval war between 1798 and 1800.
Zanu-PF chief whip Pupurai Togarepi recently introduced a motion in Parliament calling for the need to enact the Bill, which seeks to prohibit citizens from communicating messages intended to harm the image and reputation of the country on international platforms or engaging with foreign countries with the intention of harming the country's image, among others.
The Cabinet Committee on National Peace and Reconciliation in August 2020 tasked the Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs ministry to draft principles of the proposed law.
In October, 2020, Justice ministry secretary Virginia Mabhiza said the principles of the Patriot Bill had been drafted.
In a statement yesterday, Abammeli Lawyers for Human Rights said the proposed Bill would cause more harm to the image and reputation of the country on international platforms, adding it should be outrightly rejected as it was "undemocratic."
"Zimbabweans should use all constitutionally available means to oppose the introduction of a Patriot Bill because it would be undemocratic. It would be unreasonable. It would violate freedom of expression and freedom of the media. It would violate freedom to demonstrate and petition," the lawyers' network said.
"It would violate a number of political rights, including the right to make political choices freely, rights to join and to participate in the activities of a political party or organisation of one's choice to campaign freely for a political party or cause to challenge or support the policies of the government or any political or what-ever cause to stand for election and for public office if elected to hold such office," they said.
During his contribution on the proposed Bill in Parliament recently, Togarepi said Zimbabwe badly needed the law to "protect the Zimbabwean brand".
He said in the United States, there was a similar law called the Logan Act, which was promulgated in 1799 and criminalises negotiations through correspondence or communication by unauthorised American citizens with foreign governments that have a dispute with the US.
The Act was a direct response to the private efforts by the late US politician George Logan to negotiate peace between America and France during an undeclared naval war between 1798 and 1800.
Source - newsday
