sexta-feira, 12 de dezembro de 2008

Citizen's arrest: the man who almost caught Robert Mugabe (twice)

I tried and failed. It's time someone else arrested Robert Mugabe
We flunked an opportunity to jail Mugabe in 1999 and prevent eight years of murder, mayhem, starvation and disease
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article5327393.ece

Impressionante:

The first attempt was in late 1999, when Mugabe came to London on a private shopping spree. As the President's limousine left his hotel, by pre-arranged plan, my three OutRage! co-conspirators - Alistair Williams, Chris Morris and John Hunt - ran into the road, forcing it to halt. I ran from behind, opened the rear door, grabbed Mugabe by the arm, and read him the charge: "President Mugabe, you are under arrest on charges of torture." Mugabe's jaw dropped. His face was contorted with fear. I thought to myself: now you know how your victims feel, except we aren't going to kill you.
[...]
My second attempted citizen's arrest was in Brussels in 2001, when I ambushed Mugabe in the lobby of the Hilton Hotel. This time his bodyguards were ready for me. I was beaten unconscious. At one level, this was a good thing, because TV film of the beating helped to alert the world to Mugabe's brutality.
I was left with chipped teeth, and this week I was at the dentist again having more treatment to repair the damage. The beating has also affected my eyesight, memory, concentration, balance and co-ordination. I can still cope, but I am a bit slower than I used to be. These injuries are, however, nothing compared with the terrible tortures inflicted on Mugabe's critics inside Zimbabwe.

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