Zimbabweans have called for the release of Karoline Silver Mafra, a Brazilian woman who is stuck in Chikurubi Female Prison in Zimbabwe despite being acquitted of a drug trafficking charge last year.
Mafra has gained the attention of many Zimbabweans after she appeared in a video featuring the incarcerated Mai Titi at Chikurubi Female Prison in Zimbabwe went viral on social media.
Mafra is stuck in Chikurubi Female Prison in Zimbabwe due to a lack of funds and a passport to return home. Despite being found not guilty, she remains in prison due to her lawyer misplacing her passport and her inability to afford a plane ticket back to Brazil.
Social media users have expressed their sympathy for her situation, with some calling for her release and assistance to return home.
According to reports, Mafra and her colleagues were arrested at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport in April 2022 after police received information that she was coming to Zimbabwe with drugs. The couple, who had been instructed by a Nigerian individual named Bobby to pick up Mafra, were interviewed by detectives and led them to their residence, where detectives discovered seven sachets of heroin hidden between fabric samples in their bedroom. The seized heroin was worth over ZW$1.6 million. Mafra was convicted of unlawfully dealing with dangerous drugs and was initially believed to have been sentenced to seven years in prison for drug trafficking. However, it was later reported that she and her supposed accomplice were acquitted of the charges.
Despite being acquitted, Mafra remains in prison due to her passport being misplaced by her lawyer and her inability to afford a plane ticket to Brazil. Sources suggest that Mafra is a fluent Shona speaker and is a kind person. She also has a son in Brazil who is almost six or seven years old.
Mafra’s case highlights the challenges faced by foreigners in the Zimbabwean legal system, and the difficulties of navigating bureaucratic processes in a foreign country. The case also raises questions about the treatment of individuals who are acquitted of charges but are still detained due to circumstances beyond their control. Mafra’s situation is a reminder of the importance of providing support to individuals who are in need, particularly those who are stranded in foreign countries without proper resources or documentation.