JOHANNESBURG, September 17 (ANA) – The Swaziland High Court’s ruling declaring sections of the 1938 Sedition and Subversive Activities Act (SSA) and the 2008 Suppression of Terrorism Act (STA) unconstitutional is a victory for human rights, says Amnesty International.
“The court ruling is a victory for human rights, especially for freedom of expression and association,†Amnesty International regional director for Southern Africa Deprose Muchena said in a statement.
“For far too long, the Swazi authorities have used these oppressive laws to silence opponents of the government.â€
Friday’s landmark judgment, although a positive step forward, was a painful reminder of the injustices that had been meted out by the Swazi authorities through the use of these laws in the past, Muchena said.
Freedom of expression was protected in the Swazi constitution, as well as in the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights – international instruments that Swaziland was a party to.
The applicants argued that the SSA definition of “subversion†was too broad and covered conduct that should be legitimately protected under the right to freedom of expression. The SSA was enacted in 1938 by Swaziland’s former coloniser, Great Britain.
The applicants further submitted that the definition of terrorism in the Swazi STA legislation did not meet the internationally accepted definition because it included conduct that was not violent nor motivated by an intent to create fear or compel specific official action.
Swaziland was known for its long track record of lack of respect for human rights and Amnesty International had raised these issues before, it said.
– African News Agency (ANA)
