Two freelance journalists who were arrested when police broke up an opposition demonstration in Harare on 11 March, photographer Tsvangirai Mukwazhi and reporter Tendai Musiyu, were freed yesterday evening along with opposition activists who had been arrested at the same time. Both are contributors to the Associated Press news agency.

Mukwazhi had been held at the Avondale police station in Harare along with Arthur Mutambara, the leader of one of the two factions of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). He and Musiyu were taken late yesterday before a Harare court, which released them and several dozen activists after the prosecutor failed to show up.

Mukwazhi’s lawyer, Beatrice Mtetwa, said he was beaten while in custody but was not badly hurt, unlike some of the demonstrators who had been arrested at the same time.