The issuing of warrants could lead, eventually, to Mugabe being put on trial. It might also act as a restraint on his repression. If he thought that one day he might be prosecuted, like Slobodan Milosevic, it could make Mugabe think twice about authorising further atrocities. Charges could be brought under the UN Convention Against Torture. Hundreds of incidents of state-sanctioned torture were documented during the last year by Zimbabwe's human rights watchdog, the Amani Trust. Any of these could form the basis of a case in international law against Mugabe. If the Commonwealth - and other countries - issued arrest warrants, Mugabe would become a virtual prisoner in his own country. The curtailment of his freedom to travel would be a significant punishment for a President who loves lavish shopping trips abroad and who revels in being feted as a world leader. I have long argued the legal case for arresting President Mugabe under the UN Convention Against Torture. It has been ratified by 120-plus countries, including Britain. These countries have incorporated the Convention into their own domestic legislation. It requires the signatory states to arrest any person present on their territory, where there is evidence they have committed or authorised acts of torture, regardless of where in the world these acts occurred. Most Commonwealth countries have ratified the UN Convention Against Torture, and promised to enforce it. But none are doing so. President Mugabe is free to travel around the Commonwealth as he pleases. In the past few months, he has made trips to several African and Asian member states. The evidence for President Mugabe's arrest on torture charges is overwhelming. Ray Choto and Mark Chavunduka, two black journalists on The Standard newspaper in Harare, are well-documented torture victims. I have sworn affidavits from these men, attesting to their torture in 1999. Their affidavits are backed by Amnesty International and corroborated by the Zimbabwe High Court. Full text at New Humanist - 5th Column - Mugabe or see www.petertatchell.net