Zimbabwe: 'Sham' arrest of Pastor Mawarire on trumped-up charges
| Publisher | Amnesty International |
| Publication Date | 31 January 2017 |
| Cite as | Amnesty International, Zimbabwe: 'Sham' arrest of Pastor Mawarire on trumped-up charges, 31 January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/589341cd4.html [accessed 11 October 2022] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
In response to the arrest of Zimbabwean Pastor Evan Mawarire at the Harare International Airport and his subsequent transfer to the Harare Central Police Station where he is being detained upon his return to the country this afternoon, Amnesty International's Deputy Regional Director for Southern Africa, Muleya Mwananyanda, said:
"The trumped-up charge of subversion brought against Pastor Evan Mawarire this afternoon is absolutely ridiculous and a total sham.
"Coming after a similar charge against him last year, it is designed to make him stop his human rights activism and to punish him for speaking out about the declining human rights situation in Zimbabwe.
"The authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Pastor Evan Mawarire, as he is a prisoner of conscience imprisoned solely for the peaceful exercise of his rights."
Background
Pastor Evan Mawarire was previously arrested on 12 July 2016 after he was charged with incitement to commit public violence under the Criminal Law Act for leading a national shutdown between 13 and 14 July 2016 against "corruption" and the declining economy.
