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Treason charges against Munyaradzi Gwisai & others - Index of articles
Lawyer for Gwisai and 5 others concludes mitigation - court adjourned
to 2.15pm
Crisis
in Zimbabwe Coalition
March 20, 2012
Alec Muchadehama,
the lawyer for Munyaradzi Gwisai and five others convicted
of conspiracy to commit public violence in violation of section
188 of the Criminal
Code has presented mitigation before Magistrate Kudakwashe Jarabini
from 11.30am to around 1pm. He indicated that all six convicted
activists, upon their arrest on 19 February 2011, were severely
tortured by police while in custody, and spent some 27 days in prison
before being granted bail on stringent conditions. The matter has
taken over a year to conclude. The convicted persons believe they
committed no crime - and their Lawyer will appeal against conviction
for all six once sentence is passed. Muchadehama noted that the
police who tortured the six activists have not been brought to account
to date.
Upon conviction,
the prescribed punishment is a jail term of up to 10years or a level
12 fine of up to US$2, 000.00. Muchadehama is strongly opposed to
a custodial sentence or even community service, but has conceded
a fine - in the region of US$500,00 per person. Court has adjourned
to 2.15pm to allow prosecution to respond and raise aggravation
issues before sentencing. It is not clear whether sentence will
be passed today.
This case is
a direct message from a politicized and partisan justice system
to civil society on their intolerance of democracy, justice and
freedom. We reject that message of fear. It was encouraging that
over 100 civil society leaders and activists turned up at court
in support and solidarity. This political persecution of the six
activists through prosecution is testimony to how compromised our
judicial system has become. Contrast this persecution with the murders
of over 200 MDC supporters during the 2008 elections whose murders
are still at large, seemingly beyond the reach of the law.
Visit the Crisis
in Zimbabwe fact
sheet
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