U.N. torture expert detained on arrival | Human Rights

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U.N. torture expert detained on arrival

Written by The Zimbabwean

Thursday, 29 October 2009 12:38

HARARE - The United Nations human rights expert, Manfred Nowak (Pictured) was detained by zimbabwe’s notorious CIO agents at Harare airport last night and is due to be deported to South Africa this morning.

Nowak who had originally been invited by the Zimbabwe government was told on arrival in Johannesburg on route to Harare that his visit had been postponed at the last minute.
The UN fact-finding mission had been slated for October 28 to November 4.
This was the first time that Zimbabwe had invited an expert from the U.N. Human Rights Council to investigate allegations of torture by the security forces. Nowak is the Council's special rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.
The urgency of an objective fact-finding by an independent U.N. expert was highlighted by allegations of arrest, intimidation and harassment of supporters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and of human rights defenders in the past few days, the U.N. said.
The cancellation of the visit is a clear indication that Zimbabwe has something to hide.

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