Amnesty International today [30 March 2010] called on Zimbabwe’s Government to end repression of public debate on past and ongoing human rights violations, following the detention of a well known artist for work depicting atrocities committed in the 1980’s.
Owen Maseko was arrested on 26 March after participating in a show at the Bulawayo National Art Gallery, which depicted atrocities that took place in the Matabeleland region, known as Gukuruhundi, in western Zimbabwe during the 1980s where thousands of people were killed, mainly by state security agents.
The artist who faces charges of “undermining the authority of the President”, “inciting public violence” and “causing offence to people of a particular tribe, race, religion”, under the Public Order And Security Act (POSA), was released on bail today and ordered to report to a police station every Friday.
“President Mugabe and Prime Minister Tsvangirai should demonstrate their commitment to end human rights violations in Zimbabwe by publicly condemning attempts by police to silence activists and all charges against Owen Maseko should be immediately and unconditionally withdrawn,” said Erwin van der Borght, Amnesty International’s Africa programme director. Read more
Owen Maseko
Anyone who cares about the freedom of artistic expression, or about the chances of any healing in Zimbabwe any time soon, must surely condemn in the strongest terms the arrest of Owen Maseko in Bulawayo on Friday last week. Owen is one of Zimbabwe’s most outstanding young artists – his paintings hang on walls all over the world – and he, like all Zimbabweans and all artists everywhere, has a right to explore and express any aspect of his world.
Owen launched a very courageous exhibition of art on Thursday last week on the theme of Gukurahundi, featuring installations, large paintings, and paintings and graffiti done directly on to the walls. Why is it, that 27 years after army troops began their massacres in Matabeleland and the Midlands, this issue is still so sensitive that people affected cannot dare to speak out? To heal, people MUST be allowed to process their pain, so that they can move on. Victims need understanding and space to be heard, not to be locked into jail cells for daring to show the wounds of the nation.
Owen Maseko is now on bail of USD100 and he has to report to the police station every Friday. Click here to view photos of some of Owen’s art in our gallery.
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