Washington - The United States on Thursday condemned Zimbabwe over
raids on the offices of a gay rights group and urged authorities to end a
"pattern of abuse" against civil society.
Activists said
that two truckloads of police on Monday raided offices of the group Gays and
Lesbians of Zimbabwe, rounding up 44 people in what authorities called a search
for illegal data and offensive materials.
US State
Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland condemned the raids and said several
people sustained serious injuries. She said the United States "stands in
solidarity" with Zimbabwe's gay rights activists and other civil society.
"We are
deeply concerned when security forces become an instrument of political
violence used against citizens exercising their democratic rights," Nuland
said in a statement.
"We call upon
the government of Zimbabwe to end this pattern of abuse and to eradicate the
culture of impunity that allows members of the security sector to continue to
violate the rights of the Zimbabwean people," she said.
Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton has championed gay rights around the world. Earlier this month
on a visit to Uganda, she honoured the "brave" rights activists
fighting a proposal to punish homosexual acts with the death penalty.
The United States
and European Union maintain sanctions against Zimbabwe's veteran PresidentRobert Mugabe and
his inner circle as they press for free elections and democratic reforms
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