A calm, reasoned meeting with the President might help remedy his misunderstandings about gay people and encourage him to adopt a more enlightened policy on gay issues. I am prepared to forgive and forget, providing Mr. Mugabe starts respecting the human rights of all Zimbweans. He must take tough action to end the use of torture, censorship, detention without trial, and the suppression of strikes and peaceful protests. But this funding must be conditional on the Zimbabwe government ending human rights abuses and stamping out corruption. Mr. Mugabe made his offer that Tatchell would be welcome to visit Zimbabwe at the Commonwealth Summit in Durban on Friday, 12th November, as reported in the London newspaper, The Independent , on 13th November.
Torture is a crime under international law.
The citizen's arrest was the third year in a row that Mr. Tatchell has confronted President Mugabe over gay human rights abuses. Ejected by Special Branch officers, he was threatened with arrest, but never charged.