Zimbabwe opposition leader found guilty of attending ‘unlawful gathering’

Court convicts Jameson Timba and 34 activists aft 5 months successful pre-trial detention.

A Zimbabwe tribunal has convicted an guidance leader and 34 activists connected charges of participating successful an unlawful gathering, much than 5 months aft they were taken into pre-trial detention.

Jameson Timba, interim leader of a faction of nan splintered Citizens Coalition for Change guidance party, and nan activists look up to 5 years successful situation aliases a fine.

Sentencing is group for adjacent week, Webster Jiti, 1 of nan defence lawyers, said.

The tribunal connected Friday acquitted 30 others who had been detained pinch Timba.

Police arrested nan activists connected June 16 astatine Timba’s residence successful nan capital, Harare, and charged them pinch disorderly behaviour and participating successful a gathering pinch nan intent to beforehand violence, breaches of bid aliases bigotry. The tribunal successful September acquitted them of nan disorderly behaviour charges.

Their lawyers said they were astatine nan location for a barbecue to commemorate nan Day of nan African Child, a almanac arena of nan African Union.

Timba and nan others were among nan first of astir 160 guidance figures and activists to beryllium rounded up earlier a July acme of nan 16-nation Southern African Development Community successful Harare.

Amnesty International described nan detentions arsenic “part of a disturbing shape of repression against group exercising their authorities to state of serene assembly and expression”.

The authorities group called for an investigation into allegations that immoderate of nan activists were tortured while successful constabulary detention.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who promised antiauthoritarian reforms aft taking complete from longtime ruler Robert Mugabe successful a coup successful 2017, denied those allegations but has besides many times warned nan guidance against inciting violence.

Mnangagwa’s ZANU-PF statement has been successful powerfulness since independency successful 1980 and is accused of stifling dissent.