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‘Barbaric and inhumane’: Zimbabwean campaigner details ‘torture’ of female activists

‘They were sexually violated. They were raped,’ campaigner tells Maya Oppenheim

Monday 03 August 2020 23:14 BST
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Faiza Mohamed, Equality Now's Africa Director, told The Independent she was “extremely concerned” about the “grave” human rights violations perpetrated by the Zimbabwean state against human rights activists
Faiza Mohamed, Equality Now's Africa Director, told The Independent she was “extremely concerned” about the “grave” human rights violations perpetrated by the Zimbabwean state against human rights activists

Cecilia Chimbiri, Netsai Marova, and Joana Mamombe, have accused suspected state security services of subjecting them to a harrowing catalogue of torture allegations, which span from being beaten to suffering repeated sexual assaults to being forced to drink each other’s urine.

Ms Chimbiri, who is 32, Ms Marova, 25, and Ms Mamombe, 27, are Zimbabwean human rights activists. The three women allege they suffered torture and unspeakable humiliation after being abducted by suspected state security services in May.

Chenayi Mutambasere, who is also a human rights campaigner and a close friend of the three female opposition activists, has now spoken to The Independent about the alleged abuse they endured and their alleged mistreatment since. She said the trio had been arrested again on Friday but have now been released.

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