NOMINATION FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S AWARD FOR

UNCLAS HARARE 000947 SIPDIS SIPDIS FOR G/IWI E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KWMNPHUMPRELKPAOZW SUBJECT: NOMINATION FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S AWARD FOR INTERNATIONAL WOMEN OF COURAGE REF: STATE 126072 ¶1. (U) The following is Embassy Harare's nomination for the Secretary of State's Award for International Women of Courage. SIPDIS NAME: Beatrice Tele Mtetwa TITLE: Senior Partner INSTITUTION: Mtetwa & Nyambirai Law Firm DOB: November 30, 1958 POB: Zimbabwe Citizenship: Zimbabwean Contact: 4th Floor, 101 Union avenue building Kwame Nkrumah avenue, Harare, Zimbabwe. TEL: 263-4-730896 ¶2. Ms.Beatrice Mtetwa is a renowned human rights lawyer and is currently serving as president of the Law Society of Zimbabwe (LSZ). She is a fearless lawyer who has represented dozens of human rights defenders, journalists and pro-democracy activists -- all at great personal risk. Despite increasing state-violence, she continues to be an outspoken advocate for the respect of human rights, women's rights, the rule of law, and an independent press. As the first woman President of the LSZ, Mtetwa has been a passionate advocate for Zimbabwean women, serving as a role model and promoting a fuller participation and advancement of women in the legal and judicial community, and fighting to insure their equal protection and participation in all facets of Zimbabwean society. ¶3. Police have arrested and harassed Mtetwa on numerous occasions during her career - yet she continues to serve as a vocal critic of the government. On May 8, for example, Mtetwa led a demonstration of more than 50 lawyers in front of the high court to protest the arbitrary arrest and detention of two prominent human rights lawyers. Police disrupted the gathering by brutally beating the lawyers with batons. Police forced Mtetwa and three other lawyers into a truck and drove them to a secluded area on the outskirts of town where they were severly beaten and abandoned. Mtetwa did not let her injuries, or threats from police, prevent her from vocally condemning the attack or the continued detention of her colleagues in the days that followed. Mtetwa's bravery and resolve inspired other demostrations by lawyers around the country. ¶4. In March 2007, police physically manhandled and threatened Mtetwa while she was serving court papers. In October 2003, police arbitrarily arrested Mtetwa on false allegations and detained her for three hours. Police beat and choked Mtetwa before releasing her without charge. Although she was unable to speak for two days as a result of the assault, she returned to the police station on the third day, with medical evidence in hand, to file charges. ¶5. Mtetwa's experiences as a victim have fueled her engagement with civil society. As a board member of Counseling Services Unit, the premier service provider to victims of state-sponsored and organized violence and torture (OVT),(a majority of whom have been women and of whom Mtetwa was one),she has provided leadership to assure that all victims of OVT receive prompt and adequate medical and psycho-social treatment and care. As a member of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human rights and one of the leading human rights lawyers in the country, Mtetwa has played a key role in assuring that expert legal representation and counsel is provided to human rights defenders and other pro-democracy activists. She has worked with women activists such as WOZA, helping them to continue their activism, secure in the knowledge that a safety net of first class legal (and medical) care is available to them should they fall victim to the regime's repression and violence. ¶5. Promoting democratic change is the U.S. government's highest priority strategic goal in Zimbabwe. Ms. Mtetwa is one of Zimbabwe's most courageous women. In consideration of her continued commitment to the defense of human rights defenders, the rule of law, and an independent media in Zimbabwe, Embassy Harare highly recommends Mtetwa be considered for the 2008 International Women of Courage Award. ¶6. Embassy Officers working on women's issues: NAME: Mr. Scott Higgins (POL Section),U.S. Embassy Harare, TEL: 263-4-250593/4 NAME: Ms. Priscillah Kapungu, (Public Affairs Section) U.S. Embassy Harare, TEL: 263-4-758800/1 DHANANI