Crackdown in Zimbabwe: Keeping Democratic Hopes Alive Amid Rising Repression

Senior Africa Policy Analyst, Open Society Institute
Moderator

Akwe Amosu is a Senior Policy Analyst for Africa at the Washington Office of the Open Society Institute. She seeks to facilitate links between OSI's Africa-based foundations, initiatives and grantees, and the international policy community in Washington, DC, as well as sharing OSI perspectives on African issues and collaborating with other organizations in areas of joint concern.

Deputy Secretary for International Relations for the Movement for Democratic Change

Grace Kwinjeh is the Deputy Secretary for International Relations for the Movement for Democratic Change, the Zimbabwean opposition party led by Morgan Tsvangirai. She and several other activists sustained serious injuries as a result of torture by police after their mass arrest en route to a March 11th prayer meeting in Harare.

Chair of the National Constitutional Assembly and a constitutional law expert and lecturer on law at the University of Zimbabwe

Lovemore Madhuku is a lawyer and chair of the National Constitutional Assembly. A constitutional law expert and lecturer on law at the University of Zimbabwe, Madhuku has been persecuted and jailed for advocating a new and just constitution for his country and for the human rights of fellow citizens to be respected. In March, Madhuku was among a group of civil society and opposition leaders arrested and badly beaten while in police custody. He suffered head injuries and a fractured arm.

Acting Director of the non-profit organization Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights

Otto Saki is the Acting Director of the non-profit organization Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, which works to foster a culture of human rights in Zimbabwe and to strengthen of human rights and the rule of law at all levels of Zimbabwean society. Saki has firsthand experience of the harassment and intimidation experienced by human rights lawyers and other human rights defenders. In addition, his work with detainees has exposed him to the torture and human rights abuses suffered by those in police custody.