Pro-democracy activist and founder of #ThisFlag Movement Pastor Evan Mawarire was arrested today at His Generation Church in the capital earlier on today, while he was preaching. This comes after the outspoken cleric spoke out against fuel queues which have resurfaced and filmed motorists in fuel queues. He also called on citizens to show their dissatisfaction by protesting peacefully. We witnessed him being escorted into a police car and he is presumably being taken to Harare Central Police Station.
His lawyer, Harrison Nkomo from the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) has been appraised of the situation and has gone to the station.
#CitizensAlert Pastor Evan has been arrested for live Broadcast last night. On route to Central Police with ZLHR H.Nkomo with him. pic.twitter.com/Zw8uk32LUi
— #ThisFlag ?? (@ThisFlag1980) September 24, 2017
Click this link to view the video which caused his arrest.
Update: Pastor Evan Mawarire has been charged with subverting a constitutionally elected government. Last year he appeared in court facing the same charge although the case was dismissed. He is scheduled to go on trial on Monday for plotting to overthrow President Robert Mugabe’s government. He was set to appear before High Court judge Justice Priscilla Chigumba.
Mawarire was set to face two counts of subverting constitutional government as defined in section 22 (2) (a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, Chapter 9:23 or alternatively incitement to commit public violence as defined in section 187 (1) (a) as read with Section 36 (1) (a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, Chapter 9:23.
The state alleges that Mawarire incited Zimbabweans to revolt and overthrow a constitutionally elected government.