AU commission chief Alpha Oumar Konare "recalls the need for the scrupulous respect for human rights and democratic principles in Zimbabwe," the pan-African body said in a statement.
"He urges all concerned parties to commence a sincere and constructive dialogue in order to resolve the problems facing Zimbabwe."
The statement said that Konare had followed recent developments in Zimbabwe with "great concern.
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Pressure has mounted on Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe after police last Sunday crushed an opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) rally in Harare.
Its leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, and other opposition activists were arrested for defying a police ban and then beaten while in police custody.
Meanwhile, another opposition leader was arrested on Saturday at Harare's international airport, according to a party spokesman.
The spokesman said Arthur Mutambara, leader of a separate MDC faction, was stopped by security before he boarded a flight to South Africa. The reason for his arrest remained unclear.
Two other opposition officials have also had their passports confiscated, a lawyer said.
The two officials, Grace Kwinje and Sekai Holland, were also hospitalised after being beaten by security forces on Sunday and were being airlifted to South Africa for medical treatment, lawyer Aleck Muchadehama said.
African Union chairman John Kufuor on Wednesday said the situation in Zimbabwe was "embarrassing," but defended the AU response to the crisis.
Demonstrators in London, where he was speaking, denounced the African body's failure to condemn Mugabe outright.
Mugabe has brushed aside international condemnation sparked by the images of a badly-beaten Tsvangirai, saying Western governments could "go hang," and accusing the opposition of waging a violent campaign against him.
Zimbabwe's opposition on Friday vowed to see through its campaign to topple Mugabe as its leader left hospital in a wheelchair.
African leaders have acknowledged the dangers they face from the economic meltdown in Zimbabwe, where inflation stands at 1,730% and unemployment at 80%.
But they have been reluctant to speak out, despite pressure for regime change from the West.
South African Nobel laureate Desmond Tutu on Friday said African leaders should be ashamed over the crisis in Zimbabwe.
Tutu said leaders on the continent had let Zimbabweans down many times, holding 83-year-old Mugabe in high regard and insisting that they respect his sovereignty.
Three Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries charged with dealing with Zimbabwe Tanzania, Namibia and Lesotho said Friday they would meet on March 26 and 27 in Dar es Salaam to help find a solution.
The announcement came a day after talks with Mugabe that Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete hailed as a "great success."
The AU, which replaced the Organization of African Unity in 2002, comprises 53 African states and aims to promote political, social and economic development as well as security on the continent.
Also on Saturday, Portugal's foreign minister said the controversy should not stop a summit between the European Union and Africa planned to go ahead later this year. The summit is to be held in Portugal.
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