Namatai Kwekweza, the recipient of the prestigious Kofi Annan NextGen Democracy Prize in 2023, along with three other Zimbabwean activists – Robson Chere, Samuel Gwenzi, and Vusumuzi Moyo – have been remanded in custody after being arrested at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport on Wednesday.
The four activists were dragged out from a plane at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport on Wednesday and arrested by state security agents.
They have been charged with disorderly conduct and were brought before the Harare Magistrates Court on Friday.
Magistrate Ruth Moyo has ordered the activists to remain in custody until their bail application is heard on Monday, August 5th.
The prosecution has indicated that it needs to call the investigating officer and file written submissions opposing bail. Their lawyer, Tinashe Chinopfukutwa said:
It’s been alleged that they were part of alleged demonstrators who demonstrated at this courtroom premise on the 27th of June 2024.
We laid several complaints regarding the manner in which our clients were arrested at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe Airport, in relation to the torture, which they were subjected to before surrendering to the police officers.
The prosecution made an application that the bail application be postponed to Monday, which we were not agreeable to because we were ready to be heard on bail and we were on the court premises.
They were subjected to torture in the form of physical assault, as well as mental torture, and psychological torture and they also had their mobile phones forcibly taken away from them.
Robson Chere is injured, we notified the court that the doctor advised him that he requires immediate hospitalisation and medical attention.
According to the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), one of the questions asked by their interrogators was: “What demonstrations were planned during the SADC Summit?”
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