Amnesty International (AI) has called on Zimbabwean authorities to urgently launch a thorough, independent, and impartial investigation into the recent attacks on supporters of the Citizens’ Coalition for Change in Bhunu.

The human rights group made the call in response to a viral social media video that showed brutal attacks on supporters of the coalition in ward four of Bhunu village, Murehwa North, as they were being kicked and beaten by a group of assailants alleged to belong to the country’s ruling ZANU-PF.

In the short clip, older men and women can be seen being cruelly assaulted and interrogated simply for attending a political gathering for the coalition.

‘This callous, politically motivated attack against older people who had simply attended a gathering for a political opposition party is outrageous’, AI’s Deputy Director for East and Southern Africa, Flavia Mwangovya, said in a statement.

‘Such cruel acts of violence, which have repeatedly marred Zimbabwe’s political landscape in the past, gravely threaten the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly.

‘These attacks are clearly intended to harass and intimidate members of political opposition in the months leading up to Zimbabwe’s upcoming election and could have a chilling effect throughout the country’.

Mwangovya further called on the authorities to take all necessary steps to prevent acts of politically motivated violence and refrain from issuing inflammatory statements that could incite similar attacks or deter people from expressing their support for the political parties of choice.

Zimbabwe has a long history of politically motivated violence as more than 200 people were killed during and after the 2008 general election.

Source: Amnesty International

Photo source: World Economic Forum