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Violence, recrimination and arrests after policeman's death in Glen View - Index of articles
Court orders urgent treatment for jailed MDC activists
Movement
for Democratic Change (MDC)
August 10, 2011
Harare Magistrate, Shane Kubonera has ordered prison officers to
let private doctors examine urgently seven MDC activists detained
at the Harare Remand and Chikurubi Maximum prisons. For more than
two months the prison officials have been denying the incarcerated
MDC activists access to doctors despite a court ruling ordering
that they be treated. The seven activists are part of 24 MDC members
who were arrested and severely tortured while in police custody
on false
charges of murdering a police officer in Glen View in May.
The other 17
were granted bail last month. The police officer was murdered by
unknown revellers at a night club.
Today Magistrate
Shane Kubonera ruled that the seven in remand prison should receive
urgent treatment. Among those in urgent need of medical attention
are; Councillor Tungamirai Madzokera of Ward 32 in Glen View, Yvonne
Musarurwa, and Rebecca Mafukeni. Councillor Madzokera's left
hand is in a plaster after it was fractured in police custody and
is in need of constant medical attention; Musarurwa and Mafukeni
have visible wounds from police torture and the wounds need attention.
However, the
prison officials have been denying them access to doctors and the
activists were only receiving pain killers.
The defence
lawyers have accused the Attorney General's Office and the
police of using "guerrilla tactics" in arresting and
prosecuting the 24 activists who were at one time denied access
to legal representation.
Meanwhile, the
State today failed to submit for the third time medical affidavits
showing that the 24 activists were heavily assaulted while in police
custody claiming that state prosecutor handling the case Edmore
Nyazamba was ill.
Last month a
bail hearing for some of the activists was postponed three times
after Nyazamba again failed to appear at the High Court. Magistrate
Kubonera gave 17 August as the last day for the state to submit
the medical affidavits in court.
The 24 activists
were further remanded to 19 August.
Those still
in custody are; Clr Madzokera, Mafukeni, Musarurwa, brothers Stanford
and Lazarus Maengahama, Lloyd Chitanda, and Phineas Nhatarikwa.
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