Back to jail for Zimbabwe activists

by Barbara McPherson | May 5, 2009 at 06:51 pm

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The fragile coalition government in Zimbabwe has been shaken by the re-arrest of Morgan Tsvangirai's supporters. Their release from prisons was effected shortly after Mr. Tsvangirai was sworn in as Prime Minister. It now appears that Mugabe is not acting in good faith in sharing power with Mr. Tsvangirai. Three of the activists were still in hospital recovering from torture at the hands of Mugabe agents.

Amnesty International called for the immediate and unconditional release or prompt and fair trial of 18 human rights and political activists detained today, just two months after they were released from prison after having been tortured.

A Zimbabwe court has revoked the bail of 18 political activists facing charges of "terrorism", ordering them to return to prison in a trial that has been widely denounced as a sham.

The activists were arrested last year and say they were abducted from their homes by state security agents and tortured into confessing to being party to a plan to remove Robert Mugabe, the president, from power.

The group, which includes Jestina Mukoko, a leading human rights activist, and several MDC members, were granted bail in March with the consent of state prosecutors.