“We Have Degrees in Violence”: A Report on Torture and Human Rights Abuses in Zimbabwe

Since early 2007, the Zimbabwean government has brutally sought to suppress political opposition with state-sponsored torture and political violence. This upsurge in political violence occurred following a peaceful prayer rally organized on March 11, 2007, by a coalition of Zimbabwean church and civic organizations.

This investigation, the first conducted by international health professionals since the March 2007 crackdown, provides evidence that the Zimbabwean government is systematically utilizing torture and violence as a means of deterring political opposition. This state-sanctioned violence targets low-level political organizers and ordinary citizens, in addition to prominent members of the political opposition. Based on forensic evaluations, “We Have Degrees in Violence”: A Report on Torture and Human Rights Abuses in Zimbabwe documents how victims of political violence have been tortured and subjected to other human rights abuses, causing devastating health consequences.

Victims were detained under inhuman conditions and denied appropriate access to medical and legal assistance. Members of civil society, including doctors and lawyers assisting victims of political violence, also described being subjected to harassment by government authorities. The report's findings raise profound concerns as to whether elections scheduled for 2008 will be free and fair.

“We Have Degrees in Violence”: A Report on Torture and Human Rights Abuses in Zimbabwe was sponsored by the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa, the Open Society Institute, and the Bellevue/NYU Program for Survivors of Torture.