April 2013 has been hailed as one of the worst months in
history for the plight of human rights in Swaziland. The conviction of Bheki
Makhubu and the Nation magazine for publishing articles critical of the Swazi
judiciary sent waves of anger across the world. Makhubu faces two years in jail
and his magazine closure if he loses an appeal to the Supreme Court. On 12
April, democrats wanted to mark the 40th anniversary of King Sobhuza's Royal
Decree, however armed police and riot troops banned all political parties from
attending. A week later, on 19 April, the 45th birthday of King Mswati III,
organisers of a youth meeting to discuss the elections were arrested and
charged with sedition, while many democracy activists have been arrested in
their homes and brought under trivial charges. The Open Society Initiative for
Southern Africa (OSISA) reported to the African Commission on Human and
Peoples' Rights (ACHPR) that Swaziland was becoming a “military state”.
Original article: http://allafrica.com/stories/201305010108.html
No comments:
Post a Comment