A Zimbabwean court granted bail on Friday to 26 opposition party members arrested for holding what authorities said was an illegal assembly.
The arrest of members of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), including two Members of Parliament, has fueled fears of a crackdown on opposition politicians ahead of this year’s yet-to-be-announced crucial elections.
“It confirms that the arrest was an abuse of process in the first place,” CCC spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere told reporters outside the court. “All this shows that the regime’s paranoia has reached a fever pitch and they see that they are losing in the face.”
Zimbabwean police on January 14 fired tear gas at a CCC party in Harare and arrested its members. Lawyers for the defendants argued that the arrest was illegal because the meeting was in a private place.
Arguing against bail, the prosecution said the party had not sought permission to hold the meeting. Zimbabwean law requires political parties to seek approval from the police two weeks before holding a meeting.
The arrests follow a wave of politically motivated violence against opposition supporters in rural Zimbabwe, raising fears of a crackdown ahead of this year’s presidential election.
The CCC, led by the young Nelson Chamisa, will challenge ZANU-PF President Emmerson Mnangagwa for the second time in the polls.
The opposition party, born out of the old Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), enjoys overwhelming urban support and is seen as a threat to ZANU-PF’s 43-year-old power.
Source: Reuters
| Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are those of the authors and do not reflect Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no legal or other responsibility for the accuracy of the content. Please report inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a priority. |
Featured Videos