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This article participates on the following special index pages:
Index of articles on the mistreatment of the legal profession in Zimbabwe
Update
on the arrest of Makoni and Muchadehama
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR)
May 06, 2007
Lawyers representing
unlawfully detained human rights lawyers Andrew Makoni and Alec
Muchadehama remain unable to secure their release at the time of
this update, as police continue to flagrantly defy two Court Orders
issued by Justice Tedius Karwi on 4 May and 5 May 2007.
On attempting to secure Alec Muchadehama's release from Matapi police
station yesterday, lawyers were informed by the Officer in Charge
that he had been removed from the police station by members of the
Law and Order section just before the lawyers had arrived. Likewise,
the lawyers found when they attended Stodart police station that
three men in dark suits had visited the cells and removed Alec Muchadehama
around the same time, without the knowledge of the Officer in Charge.
ZLHR lawyers returned to CID Law and Order section at Harare Central
where the police, including two of the Respondents who were aware
of the Court Order for the release of the 2 detained persons (Assistant
Commissioner Mabunda and Detective Inspector Rangwani), continued
to hinder their efforts and ignore the Court Order. The lawyers
also found that Mr Richard Chikosha, the legal representative of
the Respondents had been dragged to the polcie station where he
had been assaulted by police and warned by Mabunda to "go and
reverse Karwi's order". The lawyers were forced to leave the
police station, fearing assault by the officers in the Law and Order
section.
Lawyers are about to file another Urgent Application seeking the
production of Makoni and Muchadehama in court together with an explanation
from the police as to why they continue to hold the two in custody
despite the order.
Information reaching us is that police intend to charge the two
lawyers under section 184(e) of the Criminal
Law (Codification and Reform) Act with obstructing the course
of justice. No further details of the evidence against them has
been provided to their legal representatives.
Irene Petras
Acting Executive Director
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights
Visit the ZLHR
fact
sheet
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