Zimbabwe: COVID-19 must not be used to stifle?freedoms, says UN rights office

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24 July 2020

Human Rights?UN

The coronavirus pandemic should not be used as an excuse to clamp down on fundamental freedoms, the?UN human rights office (OHCHR)?reminded authorities in Zimbabwe on Friday.

OHCHR?spokesperson Liz Throssell, speaking to journalists in Geneva, expressed concern over allegations suggesting that Zimbabwean authorities may be using the?COVID-19?crisis as a pretext to stifle freedom of expression and peaceful assembly on the streets.

zimbabwe /zim'bɑ:bwei; -wi/津巴布韋

stifle v. /?sta?fl/ ?1.[ VN ] to prevent sth from happening; to prevent a feeling from being expressed 壓制；扼殺；阻止；抑制??They hope the new rules will not stifle creativity. 他們希望新規(guī)則不會壓制創(chuàng)意。2.?to feel unable to breathe, or to make sb unable to breathe, because it is too hot and/or there is no fresh air （使）窒息，無法自如地呼吸，感覺窒悶

clamp down ：To clamp down on people or activities means to take strong official action to stop or control them. 取締; 嚴(yán)加限制

UN human rights office (OHCHR) :聯(lián)合國人權(quán)辦公室

pretext n. /?pri?tekst/ ?~ (for sth/for doing sth)~ (to do sth) a false reason that you give for doing sth, usually sth bad, in order to hide the real reason; an excuse 借口；托詞?? He left the party early on the pretext of having work to do. 他借口有事要處理，早早離開了聚會

Targeting health workers

?#COVID19?should not be used to clamp down on fundamental freedoms, including freedom of expression & right to peaceful assembly. We remind?#Zimbabwe?that any lockdown measures & restrictions should be necessary, proportionate, time-limited. Learn more:?https://t.co/WvwmYmZSfc?pic.twitter.com/eqeo2iZVNc?????— UN Human Rights (@UNHumanRights)?July 24, 2020

proportionate adj. /pr??p????n?t/ ?~ (to sth) ( formal ) increasing or decreasing in size, amount or degree according to changes in sth else 成比例的；相應(yīng)的；相稱的

Amid a deteriorating?economy, she said it was clear that COVID-19 has added greatly to the challenges Zimbabwe faces, and placed a further burden on an already struggling health sector.

deteriorate v. ??/d??t??ri?re?t/ ?~ (into sth) to become worse 變壞；惡化；退化?? Her health deteriorated rapidly, and she died shortly afterwards. 她的健康狀況急劇惡化，不久便去世了?！ deteriorating economy：惡化的經(jīng)濟(jì)

She said the human rights office was concerned over reports of “police using force to disperse and arrest nurses and health workers”, for?breaching lockdown restrictions while simply “trying to protest for better salaries and conditions of work”.

disperse v. /d??sp??s/ ?1.to move apart and go away in different directions; to make sb/sth do this （使）分散，散開；疏散；驅(qū)散??The fog began to disperse. 霧開始散了。 ?The crowd dispersed quickly. 人群很快便散開了。2.to spread or to make sth spread over a wide area 散布；散發(fā)；傳播

breach /bri?t?/?1.動詞違反? The newspaper breached the code of conduct on privacy. 這家報(bào)紙違反了隱私保護(hù)行為準(zhǔn)則。2.名詞違反? ?The congressman was accused of a breach of secrecy rules. 這個(gè)國會議員被指控違反保密條例。3. (關(guān)系中的) 裂痕；?使破開；攻破 (某人的防范)；攻破

According to OHCHR, on Tuesday, Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, highlighted an increase of 600 COVID-19 cases in a week – to a total of 1,713 – and announced a series of measures that he said were necessary to curb the spread of the disease.

Zimbabwean?/z?m?bɑ?bwi?n/ 津巴布韋人，津巴布韋的；

These include a dusk to dawn?curfew and the?curtailment and suspension?of freedoms that, as he put it, Zimbabweans “have always enjoyed”.

dusk to dawn：黃昏到黎明?curfew：以前提到過，宵禁

curtailment /k???te?lm?nt/ The curtailment of something is the act of reducing or limiting it. 縮減; 限制?? ?...the curtailment of presidential power. ?...對總統(tǒng)權(quán)力的限制。

suspension ?/s??spen?n/ n. 懸浮；暫停；停職

“While recognizing the Government’s efforts to contain the pandemic”, the OHCHR spokesperson said “it is important to remind the authorities that any lockdown measures and restrictions should be necessary, proportionate and time-limited, and enforced humanely without?resorting?to unnecessary or?excessive force”.

resort /r??z??t/ 1.不得不求助? ?His punishing work schedule had made him resort to drugs. 他那累人的工作日程已經(jīng)使他不得不求助于毒品了。2.訴諸?? Congress has a responsibility to ensure that all peaceful options are exhausted before resort to war. 國會有責(zé)任確保在所有和平的手段用盡之后再訴諸武力。3. 作為最后手段?? ?Nuclear weapons should be used only as a last resort. 核武器應(yīng)該只被用作最后手段。4. (度假) 勝地

e·cessive adj. ??/?k?ses?v/ ?greater than what seems reasonable or appropriate 過分的；過度的?excessive force：過度使用暴力

Pattern in intimidation

A pattern of intimidation?became clear surrounding events in May when three female members of the main opposition party, were arbitrarily?arrested and detained for taking part in a protest. ?

intimidation /?n?t?m??de??n/?恐嚇，威脅

arbitrarily /?ɑ?b??trer?li; ?ɑ?b?tr?li/ adv. 武斷地；反復(fù)無常地；專橫地

Joana Mamombe, Cecilia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova, alleged that after State security officials abducted?them from a police station, they were tortured and sexually assaulted. ?

abduct v. /?b?d?kt/??to take sb away illegally, especially using force ?誘拐；劫持；綁架

“The women were then formally arrested in June, charged with participating in the protests and faking their abduction”, said Ms. Throssell, adding that they had been recently released on bail.

Exercising ‘recognized human rights’

Peaceful protest are an exercise of recognized human rights --?OHCHR spokesperson

Among the latest incidents, investigative journalist Hopewell Chin’ono was arrested on 20 July, and charged with inciting?public violence.

incite /?n?sa?t/ V-T If someone incites people to behave in a violent or illegal way, they encourage people to behave in that way, usually by making them excited or angry. 煽動

This came after he tweeted support for nationwide protests against Government corruption and worsening economic conditions, said OHCHR.

Jacob Ngarivhume, an opposition leader who has been calling for the protests on 31 July, was also detained and similarly charged.?

“Merely calling for a peaceful protest or participating in a peaceful protest are an exercise of recognized human rights”, stressed Ms. Throssell.

Finding answers

The UN rights official maintained that OHCHR encourages the Government to “engage with civil society and other stakeholders to find sustainable solutions to?grievances?while ensuring that people’s rights and freedoms are protected in accordance with?Zimbabwe’s human rights obligations”.

grievance /?ɡri?v?ns/ N-VAR If you have a grievance about something that has happened or been done, you believe that it was unfair. 委屈; 不滿

in accordance with：依照，與···一致

In conclusion, she said the State had an obligation to “guarantee economic, social and cultural rights” of Zimbabweans.?

原文鏈接：https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/07/1069011