Zimbabwean authorities on Friday freed more than 100 protesters, including top labour leaders, arrested in the capital on Tuesday for demonstrating against economic hardships and shortages in the country.
”They are being released now,” lawyer Alec Muchadehama said in a telephone interview.
The group was charged for taking part in potentially riotous activities after the protesters gathered in Harare to stage street marches against the ever-rising cost of living, unemployment and shortages of basics.
Muchadehama said the 109 were released before being taken to court because the state needed more evidence for it to proceed with prosecution.
”They were charged, but have not been taken to court because the attorney general’s office needs more evidence.
”So, while the police continue with their investigations, they have agreed that they will be released and when they are ready they can do so by way of summons,” he said.
The group had been transferred from the capital to holding cells in the dormitory town of Chitungwiza, about 23km away from the scene of the marches.
The protests were organised simultaneously for six main cities and towns across the Southern African country and were meant ”to remind government and employers that workers are hungry, angry and tired”.
A small group of 37 arrested in the eastern city of Mutare was released by a magistrate’s court on bail on Thursday.
The executive mayor of the Chitungwiza town, Misheck Shoko, and a pro-democracy activist, Lovemore Madhuku, who faced separate charges of inciting violence, were also freed on Thursday.
The protest marches were organised by the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, whose entire leadership was among the group released at Chitungwiza.
Opposition Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai angrily reacted to the arrests, warning that the Harare ”rogue regime” was declaring war against Zimbabweans by criminalising ”an action to express displeasure, anger and disgust over the state of affairs”. — Sapa-AFP