国际英语资讯:Zimbabwes military uses excessive force to quell post-election violence: report_时事

国际英语资讯:Zimbabwes military uses excessive force to quell post-election violence: report

"While recognizing that in the circumstances, the deployment was unavoidable, the Commission considers that it would have been preferable if the police had been able to deal with the situation on their own."

The report noted that while the deployment was lawful, the operational framework in terms of the law was not followed in that the deployed troops were not placed under the command of the regulating authority due to time constraints.

The Commission also found that fake, fabricated and biased news on social media contributed to the violence.

"Having considered all the evidence, the Commission found on a balance of probabilities that speeches made by political leaders, mostly the MDC Alliance before and after the elections, heightened tensions and played a part in inciting some member of the public to protest," the report noted.

The report recommended compensation to all the affected victims and dependents and urgent availing of medical support to all the injured.

It recommended registration of all political parties to ensure accountability of party leaders and enforcement of nationwide campaign to raise awareness and educate people on proper parameters for peaceful demonstrations.

The report also recommended the review of all laws relating to hate speech, abuse of cyber space and incitement to commit acts of violence.

In addition, police should be equipped with necessary skills and capacity for dealing with rioters while use of the military to assist police in maintaining public order should only be a last resort in extraordinary situations, the report noted.