Kofi Annan Foundation Demands Release Of Jailed Zimbabwean Activists
The Kofi Annan Foundation, an independent, not-for-profit organisation that works to promote better global governance, has called on Zimbabwean authorities to release pro-democracy campaigners Namatai Kwekweza, Robson Chere and Samuel Gwenzi.
On Monday, August 19, ZANU-PF party spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa said opposition activists and pro-democracy campaigners arrested in the lead-up to the 44th SADC Summit, held on August 17, may now be released.
Mutsvangwa claimed the arrests were intended to prevent potential demonstrations during the summit.
However, on Monday, August 26, Kwekweza, Chere and Gwenzi were further remanded in custody until September 3, pending trial when they appeared before a magistrate.
In a statement, the Kofi Annan Foundation expressed concern over the continued detention of the activists, saying that there was no legitimate reason for their ongoing incarceration. It said:
Last week, ZANU PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa admitted there was no reason to continue to detain Namatai Kwekweza.
Today, 26 August 2024, despite evidence of her innocence, the courts continue to deny Namatai’s bail and have extended her detention until 5 September 2024.
We again call on Zimbabwean authorities to immediately release Namatai and her fellow human rights defenders and to drop all of the clearly spurious charges against them.
The three activists are being represented by the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), a prominent human rights organisation in the country.
The trio face allegations of protesting outside the Harare Magistrates Court against the arrest and continued detention of dozens of opposition CCC activists. They are all denying the charge.
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