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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Zimbabwe drops activist charges | Zimbabwe drops activist charges |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Terrorism charges against a prominent Zimbabwean rights activist have been thrown out after a court ruled she had been tortured while in custody. | Terrorism charges against a prominent Zimbabwean rights activist have been thrown out after a court ruled she had been tortured while in custody. |
| The Supreme Court granted Jestina Mukoko a permanent stay of prosecution after she told how security agents took her from her home and beat her. | The Supreme Court granted Jestina Mukoko a permanent stay of prosecution after she told how security agents took her from her home and beat her. |
| She was accused of plotting to topple President Robert Mugabe. | She was accused of plotting to topple President Robert Mugabe. |
| Critics say the charges were fabricated in an attempt to silence opponents of Mr Mugabe's Zanu-PF party. | Critics say the charges were fabricated in an attempt to silence opponents of Mr Mugabe's Zanu-PF party. |
| Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku dismissed the case against Ms Mukoko and eight other defendants. | |
| He accepted the claims of Ms Mukoko's lawyers that security agents had not upheld her rights. | |
| "The state, through its agents, violated the applicant's constitutional rights... entitling the applicant a permanent stay of criminal prosecution," Mr Chidyausiku said. | "The state, through its agents, violated the applicant's constitutional rights... entitling the applicant a permanent stay of criminal prosecution," Mr Chidyausiku said. |
| At least three others are still facing trial on the same charges. | |
| Political tension | Political tension |
| The AP news agency reported that Ms Mukoko wept and hugged friends as she heard the judgment, saying the charges had not made sense. | The AP news agency reported that Ms Mukoko wept and hugged friends as she heard the judgment, saying the charges had not made sense. |
| "I could not believe people could charge me with something like that," AP quoted her as saying. | "I could not believe people could charge me with something like that," AP quoted her as saying. |
| Ms Mukoko, who had been free on bail since May, disappeared from her home in early December 2008 and was not heard from for three weeks. | |
| The government denied holding her, but at the end of the month she appeared in court facing terrorism charges. | The government denied holding her, but at the end of the month she appeared in court facing terrorism charges. |
| At the end of 2008 dozens of activists claimed they had been abducted by the security services. | At the end of 2008 dozens of activists claimed they had been abducted by the security services. |
| Some of them were freed after short spells in detention and others were charged. | |
| Many of the detained were supporters of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). | |
| Their detention caused huge tension between Zanu-PF and the MDC, who signed a power-sharing agreement last year. | |
| Mr Tsvangirai spoke out on the issue earlier in the year, saying Ms Mukoko's case undermined the power-sharing deal. | |
| Donors are reluctant to resume aid flows to Zimbabwe because of the allegations of continued human rights abuses in the country. |