Blessed Mhlanga, Zimbabwean journalist and former political prisoner, addressed the 18th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy on February 18, 2026.
18th Annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy, U.N. Opening, Tuesday, February 17, 2026
Key Quotes:
“This is the new face of repression in Zimbabwe, laced with sophistication. In the past, it was naked violence on the streets, abductions, and forced disappearance. It has changed, it’s now violence committed through the legal system, what I call, ‘lawfare.’”
“Zimbabwe has not become any democratic than before, it’s worse. It has just become more sophisticated in its oppression.”
“So the world can pretend that Zimbabwe is democratizing. But the worst is yet to come. And as a journalist, I will continue my search for the truth. Journalism is all I know, it’s all I intend to do.”
