RS (Zimbabwe, Desertion, Movement for Democratic Change � Fair Trial) Zimbabwe

Miss Muquit argued that it did not follow that the so called suspected links with underground military wing of the MDC were genuine and argued that the article displayed hostility towards deserters.

We note that their journey to Australia was facilitated by UNCHR. The two, corporals, said that they had been tortured and harassed for refusing to campaign for President Mugabe during the previous year's presidential elections. Like the appellant, they had been serving in the DRC. They said this:

She then referred us to various other parts of the US State Department report. Later in that section it clearly makes the point that the authorities in Zimbabwe have an extremely cavalier approach towards the rule of law. There is reference to the arrest and detention of the President and the Executive Secretary of the Law Society of Zimbabwe and to a retired judge who was detained incommunicado. Prison conditions are dealt with in the US State Department Report which describes them as harsh and life threatening.

has disappeared. Mr Elks asked us not to put too much on that change. We were struck by the omission of that sentence and regard it as significant. Unfortunately, although the next edition of the CIPU report was due out in the following few days, we were not able to find out whether it reflects the change in the US State Department position.