'I feel grossly violated enough to seek justice'
THE cocktail of travel and illegal economic sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by
the EU, the US and their allies have been condemned by progressive people the
world over. Former UN secretary general Kofi Annan, the Non-Aligned Movement,
Comesa, and Sadc, to mention a few, have called for the lifting of the ruinous
sanctions but the Western rabble-rousers have, however, refused to heed the
calls. This week, Senator Aguy Clement Georgias, who has previously written to
the British and American governments about the sanctions, decided to take the
bull by the horns by launching a legal challenge against London in the British
High Court. The Herald caught up with Sen Georgias to discuss his landmark
lawsuit among other issues.
QUESTION: Senator Georgias, you are taking the British government to court over
the sanctions the EU imposed on Zimbabwe. Can you tell our readers what
motivated the lawsuit?
ANSWER: Put simply on May 26 I was refused leave to enter or transit through
the United Kingdom en route to New York where I was to receive an international
award on behalf of my company Trinity Engineering, Pvt. Ltd.
The grounds of refusal, as stated by the immigration officials, are that my
name appeared on the list of persons banned by the European Union from
travelling or transiting through EU member states as part of the sanctions, or
as they call them restrictive measures on Zimbabwe. I am therefore challenging,
the British government on this and seeking damages for the inhuman treatment I
received at the hands of the immigration officials.
Q: What are the main arguments you raise in your legal challenge?
A: The matter is now before the courts and I therefore cannot discuss this
matter in greater detail. In short the sanctions are imposed by the EU and
enforced by the UK in this instance, violate my individual rights, the rules of
distinction and are therefore a violation of human rights. I feel grossly
violated enough to seek justice.
I have repeatedly stated that the EU sanctions on Zimbabwe are wrongful and
misplaced in so far as they impact negatively, the lives of ordinary people
with serious contagion on a whole sub-region.
The legal basis of my challenge is the unjustifiable inclusion of my name on
the travel ban list against a broader challenge to the validity, legality and
justification of the harsh EU sanctions.
Q: It appears you are challenging only the travel ban on government leaders.
Does this mean there are no other sanctions apart from the travel ban?
A: The travel ban on Government leaders, on its own is not as significant in
terms of impacting the national economy. It is the restrictions on financial
resources, access to lines of credit and balance of payments support that are
having the deleterious effect on the economy and causing hardships.
Remember London is the world's banking capital with the major banks and leading
financial institutions all headquartered there. Albion, through the bank of
England, is therefore key.
I find it sickening that the EU and some quarters are singing the mantra that
there are no economic sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe. Even some sections of the
local media appear dissonant on this fact. If one cares to find out you will
see that measures being taken against Zimbabwe are not a new foreign policy
tool for the EU.
These measures have been applied in many other countries that the EU have
sought to manipulate.
This is why the EU appears recalcitrant on Zimbabwe despite the undertaking to
continually review the impact of their sanctions on us. The argument that the
sanctions are targeted is hollow, considering the economic malaise on Zimbabwe.
Suffice it to say I am challenging the entire EU sanctions.
Q: You filed your lawsuit on Tuesday August 21, has the British government
responded to your challenge?
A: They have, but I cannot discuss this issue in any meaningful detail as the
matter is now before the courts, I do not want to say anything that may be
prejudicial to my case. I am sure you will be able to follow and report on the
litigation once the court hearing begins.
Q: Are you also going to go for the Americans in light of their sanctions law,
the so-called Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act?
A: I already have gone for the Americans. Last year I wrote, as a businessman
and interested citizen, before my appointment in Government, to the US
Congressional leaders, in the Senate and House of Representatives as well as
the Black Congressional Caucus to appeal for the lifting of sanctions.
But if you mean going to them by way of legal challenge in the courts then the
answer is I have not considered that course of action yet. This is not to say
the US sanctions have a lesser effect on the economy.
To the extent that the US sanctions are explicit in terms of banning financial
support for Zimbabwe from multilateral agencies in which the US has voting
power, i.e. the IMF World Bank etc, US sanctions are more biting.
I am sure the US is now eminently aware of the fact that the sanctions on
Zimbabwe are hurting more the people they purport to assist and empower and are
therefore wrongful and misdirected. They must just go and let diplomacy take
its course.
Q: This is not the first time you have taken the initiative to challenge the
sanctions. Last year you moved a motion calling for the removal of the
sanctions. What became of that motion and did you get the support of fellow
legislators?
A: The motion is still very much alive, as you may know, members of the Senate,
and the House of Assembly are still debating the sanctions issue with vigour.
I may say that when I moved the motion in the Senate, I received overwhelming
support, from both sides of the floor, and from members of the Lower House as
well.
I believe my fellow legislators are as concerned as I am that the sanctions are
wrecking havoc on our economy. It beats my logic that some sections of our
society believe sanctions are not to blame for our economic woes.
If the sanctions are that ineffective, then the best that can be concluded is
that both the EU and the United States are strangely naive as to direct their
energies towards their imposition, when they are supposedly of no consequence.
This is gross deception. The opposite is in fact true, the sanctions have a
biting effect and they are hurting the economy, causing widespread hardship and
misery.
They are an unwarranted attack on the ordinary people of Zimbabwe, and not
exclusively on the political leadership.
l [EMAIL PROTECTED] The Mulindwas Communication Group
"With Yoweri Museveni, Uganda is in anarchy"
Groupe de communication Mulindwas
"avec Yoweri Museveni, l'Ouganda est dans l'anarchie"
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