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Violence, recrimination and arrests after policeman's death in Glen View - Index of articles
State persecution of MDC activists persist
Crisis
in Zimbabwe Coalition
September 09, 2011
The State's persecution of Movement for Democratic Change
(MDC) activists continues depsite calls by civil society organizations
and other pro-democracy activists for the ZANU PF controlled Police
Service and Judiciary system to desist from selective application
of the law.
On Wednesday
7 September 2011, Kerina Dewa was arrested
by the police at 5 am at her home in Glen View and detained at the
Glen-Norah Police Station before being taken to Harare Central on
baseless
charges of murdering Petros Mutedza in May this year. She becomes
the 25th MDC member to be arrested on the same charge. While 17
others were released on bail between June and August 2011, 7 remain
in police custody. The atmosphere in Harare's Glen View suburb
has remained tense as police continue random arrests of innocent
residents.
During her initial
remand hearing at the Harare Magistrates Court, Mrs Dewa was remanded
in cutody at the Chikurubi Remand Prison by Magistrate, Donald Ndinorevei
to the 5th of October 2011, Ndinorewei advised her to apply for
bail at High Court.
This is not
the first time that Mrs Dewa has faced harassment from state agents.
On the 2nd of June 2003, soldiers wielding AK47 rifles forcefully
entered the Dewa residence, randomly beating occupants of the house
and seizing foodstuffs. The soldiers accused Mrs. Dewa and her husband
of planning the 'Final Push'. Mrs. Dewa sustained head
injuries and swollen arms and spent months receiving medical treatment.
Despite a court ruling issued in 2006 compelling the Ministry of
Defense to compensate her and other vicitims with Z$10 million,
the government refused to comply. A detailed account of her assalut
can be found in the Coalition's publication, 'Cries
from Goromonzi" which was released in March 2010.
Meanwhile, treason
trial for the social and human rights activists Munyaradzi Gwisai,
Hopewell Gumbo, Eddson Chakuma, Antonater Choto, Tatenda Mombeyarara
and Welcome Zimuto falied to kick off for the third time on Wednesday
07 September. The trial was postponed to the 14th of September 2011.
The defense lawyer Aleck Muchadehama has indicated that if the trial
fails to take place on the given date he will apply for refusal
of further remand.
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in Zimbabwe fact
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