A Zimbabwean court on Monday, November 18, ordered the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) to return electronic gadgets, including mobile phones and laptops, that had been unlawfully confiscated from three prominent pro-democracy campaigners.
According to the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), the three pro-democracy campaigners namely Namatai Kwekweza, Robson Chere and Samuel Gwenzi were on Wednesday 31 July 2024 seized from a plane in Harare in July and tortured before being prosecuted on charges of disorderly conduct in a public place.
They had boarded at Robert Mugabe International Airport in Harare, while on their way to attend a conference in Victoria Falls. Said ZLHR:
Kwekweza, the leader of WeLead Trust, Chere, the Secretary-General of Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe and Gwenzi, a former Councillor for Ward 5 in Harare, were charged with disorderly conduct in a public place as defined in section 41(b) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act and accused of allegedly participating in an unsanctioned demonstration reportedly held at Harare Magistrates Court in June, where they protested against the detention of Citizens Coalition for Change political party leader Jameson Timba and some of the opposition party members and demanding their release from prison.
The trio, who are out of prison custody on bail and are represented by Jeremiah Bamu, Tinashe Chinopfukutwa and Kelvin Kabaya of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, recently filed an application at Harare Magistrates Court, where they asked the court to order ZRP to release their mobile phone handsets and laptops, arguing that their electronic gadgets were being unlawfully held by ZRP as according to prosecutors, the seized devices, were not required to be used during their trial.
On Monday 18 November 2024, a Harare Magistrate ordered ZRP to release and return Kwekweza, Chere and Gwenzi’s mobile phone handsets and laptops.
Kwekweza, Chere and Gwenzi together with Vusumuzi Moyo, Phillies Pikitayi, Dephine Gutsa, Simbarashe Blackson, Emmanuel Sitima and Last Chinodya, return to court on 9 December, where a ruling on their application for exception to the charges of disorderly conduct, will be handed down.
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