WCC news: WCC urges release of detainees, respect for human dignity in Zimbabwe

Upon news that three civil society leaders were taken out of a plane at the Robert Mugabe International Airport in Harare, were tortured, then released to the police the following day, WCC general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay reiterated the WCC’s condemnation of all forms of torture and clampdown on civil society.   Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC 2 August 2024 The nation has seen incidents of clampdown leading up to the Southern African Development Community meeting, set to begin in Harare on 17 August. Pillay reiterated the WCC’s commitment to the people of Zimbabwe that goes back to the WCC's Programme to Combat Racism, through which the WCC supported Zimbabwe’s liberation from colonialism. “We stood with Zimbabweans in the past; we will stand with them today," he said. “The WCC condemns in strongest terms all forms of torture and clampdown on civil society, and calls on President Mnangagwa to address these violations that undermine the constitution of Zimbabwe and international human rights law, and release the detained human rights activists.” Pillay added that the WCC seeks to amplify the recent statement by the Zimbabwe Council of Churches at its 47th General Assembly, regarding the “politically fragile and polarized political environment” and its call to the nation to recommit to “constitutionalism” and the rule of law. “The WCC urges the Southern African Development Community to provide leadership in addressing outstanding governance grievances that threaten the instability of Zimbabwe and the region,” said Pillay. “The WCC prays for peace, the freedom of speech, and the upholding of human rights and dignity in Zimbabwe.” Read the full statement Zimbabwe Council of Churches General Assembly statement See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 352 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland