The Zimbabwe Europe Network (ZEN) is deeply concerned about the closing of democratic space in Zimbabwe, especially against the background of the deteriorating and multi-layered Zimbabwean crisis.
ZEN is particularly worried the Zimbabwean government is taking advantage of the COVID-19 lockdown to further limit space for opposition members, journalists and human rights defenders, who have been victims of increased harassment and criminalisation in recent weeks.
The abduction, torture and subsequent prosecution of three female opposition members, is the latest of a growing number of human rights violations and an increasingly politicized conduct of the security forces and the judiciary.
ZEN continues to amplify the concerns of Zimbabwean civil society with regards to the recently proposed constitutional amendments, which include the centralisation of power and the weakening of independent oversight institutions.
In this context, the absence of dialogue is cause for concern, as genuine inclusive dialogue is needed to find national solutions.
