"You will be thoroughly beaten" : the brutal suppression of dissent in Zimbabwe

In the past year, the government of Zimbabwe under President Robert Mugabe has resorted to increasingly violent and repressive tactics to stifle and punish political dissent. The police have used unnecessary force to brutally disrupt peaceful protests by civil society organizations around the country. The authorities have used laws such as the Public Order and Security Act to justify the arbitrary arrest and detention of hundreds of civil society activists. While in detention, police and intelligence officers have subjected civil society activists to severe beatings and other forms of mistreatment that in some cases amount to torture. Police and intelligence officers and other authorities intimidate and harass human rights activists and lawyers who try to expose these abuses. The government rarely if ever disciplines or prosecutes police or intelligence officers implicated in abuses. Includes bibliographical references. 28 pages ; 28 cm.