KEY POINTS
- Zimbabwean opposition leader, Jameson Timba, and 64 of his supporters have been denied bail.
- The group faces charges related to protests against alleged election fraud.
- Their legal team plans to appeal the bail denial, calling it politically motivated.
The Zimbabwean opposition leader Jameson Timba, and 64 of his supporters have been refused bail after they were arrested over protests against alleged election malpractice.
The denial has however attracted criticism from critics who believe it is part of a trend to stifle opposition in the country.
Timba, the leader of one of the main Zimbabwean opposition parties, and his followers were arrested after they took part in protests against the results of the recent general elections.
The election in which Mnangagwa was re-elected has been followed by allegations of vote manipulation and other electoral vices from the opposition parties.
Protests and arrests
The arrest of Timba and his supporters comes at a time when political instability is rife in Zimbabwe. Citizens came out in the streets to demonstrate their displeasure with the electoral system in their country which they said was rigged.
Some of the demonstrators were arrested during the scuffle with the police force resulting in the arrest of Timba and the other party members.
Timba and his supporters have been accused of trying to provoke the public to violence, a charge commonly pinned on the opposition politicians in Zimbabwe.
New Zimbabwe has quoted some people who have said that the decision to deny bail has raised questions about the independence of the judiciary and the protection of civil liberties in the country.
Legal team to appeal
Timba’s legal advisors have promised to challenge the denial of bail because their clients are being politically profiled. They say the charges are politically motivated and are part of a larger campaign to silence dissenting voices following disputed elections.
According to the lawyers, the defendants should be released on bond since they are not likely to flee to avoid their trial.
The denial of bail has not doused the political turmoil in Zimbabwe as the opposition and the ruling party’s relations degenerate further.
However, the legal challenges have not deterred Timba’s supporters as they had vowed to conduct campaigns demanding electoral justice massively.
While the country is politically unstable the future of the leaders of opposition and their freedom to take part in the process of democracy is unknown.
But as the appeal process is in progress there is a possibility that the courts may change their decision and allow Timba and his supporters to defend themselves.
