Police raid triggers panic

JOHANNESBURG – The raid by Zimbabwean police on a civil society group has raised fears of a broader crackdown on perceived opposition activists ahead of elections due in 2013, Human Rights Watch has said.

Last week a dozen uniformed and plain-clothes police officers with a search warrant raided the Harare office of the Counseling Services Unit (CSU), which provides medical and psychological care for victims of political violence and torture.

Before they entered, armed riot police surrounded the office and threatened to fire teargas into the building, which contained other tenants.

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