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Court sets free women activists as police fail to turn up
Zim-Online
October 14, 2004

http://www.zimonline.co.za/downloads.asp?ID=431

HARARE - Nine women activists arrested for protesting against a draft law that will restrict non-governmental organisations

(NGOs) were yesterday cleared of charges of breaching state security laws after the police failed to turn up in court.

The women, all of them members of the Women of Zimbabwe Arise pressure group, were part of a group of about 60 women who marched for 440 kilometres from Bulawayo to Harare in protest against the proposed law.

Police arrested and charged the women for violating the state's Public Order and Security Act which prohibits Zimbabweans from gathering to discuss politics or from holding political protests without police clearance.

The Attorney-General, the country's prosecuting officer, refused to put the women on their defence but the police insisted they wanted the activists tried in court. The Harare Magistrate's Court however had to free the women after the police failed to turn up.

A separate group of women activists, numbering about 50, who were arrested for demonstrating against the draft NGO law at Parliament, are expected to appear in court next week, also to answer charges of breaching state security laws.

Civic society experts have warned that the new restrictions to be imposed on NGOs by the new law will see critically needed humanitarian assistance to Zimbabwe drying up.

The government says the restrictions are necessary to rein in NGOs it accuses of working with its enemies to topple it.

* And in another matter at the courts yesterday, Justice Tedius Karwi issued an interim order barring Mashonaland Central Governor, Ephraim Masawi, from harassing and threatening opposition supporters in his province with death.

The order was made following an application by opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party national executive member, Claudious Marimo, who says he was evicted from his property in the province and threatened with death by ruling ZANU PF militias.

Marimo told the court that the militias were acting on orders from Masawi. The court will make a final determination on the matter after hearing submissions from Masawi. The governor denies instigating violence against MDC supporters in his province or threatening Marimo with death.

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