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The Catholic Justice and Peace Commission of Brisbane has come out in support of its sister Commission in Zimbabwe after Zimbabwean President, Robert Mugabe, publicly threatened the Commission with action to regulate its activity.

The Zimbabwean Commission has been one of the most prominent opponents of corruption and injustice in the country.

The Brisbane Commission’s Executive Officer, Peter Arndt, said that Commonwealth leaders have expressed their concern at many of the activities of the Mugabe Government.

"The Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace is being threatened with regulation, along with other non-government organisations which campaign against the Government’s unjust practices, so that the local and international community can be kept in the dark about corruption and injustice," Mr Arndt said.

"This is totally unacceptable to us because Mr Mugabe seems to wantto silence anyone who stands up for human rights," he said.

"The defence of human dignity and human rights is at the centre of the Church’s teaching and the Zimbabwean Commission must be free to air its concerns and free to defend human rights in its country," he said.

Mr Arndt said that the Brisbane Commission would send a message of support to its sister Commission and also would ask the Foreign Affairs Minister, Alexander Downer, to express serious concerns about the proposed action to the Zimbabwean authorities.