The Case against Robert Mugabe

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Jacki Grosso, Impunity Watch.
jgrosso@law.syr.edu

The Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court sent a chilling message to war criminals around the world last week when he requested an arrest warrant against Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir. Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and his cronies are almost certainly paying close attention.

A report released jointly today by the ENOUGH Project and Impunity Watch examines the legal options available to hold Mr. Mugabe and others to account for a laundry list of crimes committed during his 30 year presidency—from the massacre of 20,000 Ndebele civilians in the early 1980s to the continuing post-election crackdown against the political opposition.

Click here to read the full report.

“Justice for Zimbabwe should be approached under the combined efforts of a hybrid international tribunal, or a domestic court with international assistance and support,” says David M. Crane, a co-author of the report, Professor at Syracuse University College of Law, and former founding Chief Prosecutor of The Special Court for Sierra Leone. “The longer Mr. Mugabe abuses the power of the state and thwarts the legitimate and democratic will of the people of Zimbabwe to express their rights, the more the question of accountability gains traction,” says ENOUGH Executive Director John Norris. “The question of justice in Zimbabwe should ultimately be a question of when, not if.”

Click here to read the full report.

About Impunity Watch: Impunity Watch is an interactive website that operates as a law review, message board, and blog; it was created with the objective of giving a voice to people who are silenced. Impunity Watch's mission is to monitor and address horrific human rights abuses and possible situations of impunity. Whether the atrocities committed are acts of discrimination, acts of human trafficking such as the forced labor or sexual exploitation of individuals, the denial of access to food and water, acts of genocide, or other violations of fundamental human rights, those who commit these inhumane acts should be held accountable and brought to justice. Impunity Watch will be in the forefront creating awareness of these tragedies. For more information on Impunity Watch, please visit www.impunitywatch.net.

ENOUGH is a project of the Center for American Progress to end genocide and crimes against humanity. Founded in 2007 with an initial focus on the crises in Sudan, Chad, eastern Congo, northern Uganda, and Somalia, ENOUGH’s strategy papers and briefings provide sharp field analysis and targeted policy recommendations based on a “3P” crisis response strategy: promoting durable peace, providing civilian protection, and punishing perpetrators of atrocities. ENOUGH works with concerned citizens, advocates, and policy makers to prevent, mitigate, and resolve these crises. To learn more about ENOUGH and what you can do to help, go to www.enoughproject.org.