By Jason Szep
BOSTON (Reuters) - The University of Massachusetts onThursday rescinded an honorary law degree awarded 22 years agoto Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, calling his politics"egregious" and his leadership an "assault on human rights."
The state university has never before revoked an honorarydegree in its 145-year history.
"Rescinding an honorary degree is a step to be taken inonly the rarest and most grievous of circumstances," RobertManning, chairman of school's board of trustees, said in astatement after the unanimous vote by the 22-member board.
"Robert Mugabe's performance and policies in Zimbabwe areso egregious as to warrant this ultimate expression ofdisapproval," he said.
Mugabe, 84, led the nation to independence from Britain in1980 but has become an international pariah, accused of humanrights abuses and ineffective economic policies that haveresulted in rampant inflation, food shortages and poverty.
Mugabe and his officials are accused of intimidatingopponents since a poll in March in which opposition leaderMorgan Tsvangirai won but fell short of the margin needed foroutright victory, necessitating a runoff later this month.
U.S.-based Human Rights Watch said on Monday that a freeand fair election scheduled for June 27 was impossible becauseof a systematic campaign of murder and brutality unleashed byMugabe's ZANU-PF party in which at least 36 people have died.
He was awarded the honorary doctorate of laws degree inOctober 1986 for his "exemplary devotion to social justice."
The university's president at the time, David Knapp, saidMugabe's "gentle firmness in the face of anger and intellectualapproach to matters which inflame the emotions of others, arehallmarks of quiet integrity."
The school's current president, Jack Wilson, said theuniversity was compelled to take action because Mugabe's"transgressions have led the world community to condemn hisgovernment's assault on human rights and on the rule of law."
Under Mugabe's 28 years in power, Zimbabwe has slipped intoeconomic and political crisis, with deepening unrest betweenMugabe's security forces and opposition groups.
He blames deteriorating conditions on sanctions imposed bythe West and regards opposition politicians as puppets ofWestern governments, led by Britain.
Kevin Murphy, a Massachusetts lawmaker, urged theuniversity to revoke the degree because of escalatingstate-sponsored violence in Zimbabwe.
Last year, Edinburgh University withdraw a degree awardedin 1984 for Mugabe's services to education, also citing humanrights violations by his government.
