International rights group Amnesty International said Tuesday it feared a group of activists arrested during a protest march in Zimbabwe last week could face torture as a state clampdown intensified on dissenting voices in the run-up to a June presidential vote.
The 14 activists with the Women of Zimbabwe Arise group, one of whom is a man, were arrested during a protest march on May 28 in Harare, Amnesty said in a statement.
WOZA could not be immediately contacted for comment about the arrests but Amnesty said WOZA leaders Jenni Williams and Magadonga Mahlangu were among the 14, and that the activists were "in grave danger of torture or other ill treatment."
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The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) also said another of its parliamentarians had also been arrested in what it called a pattern of victimization of its leaders.
Eric Matinenga, a lawyer and MP, was arrested Monday in Buhera after last week seeking a court interdict to stop soldiers campaigning for President Robert Mugabe, MDC spokesperson Nelson Chamisa said.
"I suppose that's why they are trying to victimize him," Chamisa said. "They are targeting all opposition leaders. It's becoming a trend."
A severe crackdown on dissenting voices in Zimbabwe is underway in the aftermath of March 29 elections, in which Mugabe's Zanu-PF party suffered its first ever defeat at the hands of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).
Mugabe also took fewer votes than MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai for president. The two are set to contest a run-off on June 27.
Critics say the campaign of intimidation against opposition members and activists, seen together with a campaign of violence against opposition supporters in rural areas that has killed at least 50 people, is designed to crush the opposition ahead of the election.
Earlier a magistrates court in Harare ordered the release on bail of another MDC leader - Arthur Mutambara - who was arrested at the weekend.
Mutambara, leader of a smaller MDC faction, has been charged with contempt of court and giving false information prejudicial to the state over a newspaper article calling Mugabe's government "illegitimate" and slamming a court decision on the release of the election results.
No charges had been laid against Matinenga as yet but police have accused him of instigating violence, Chamisa said.
Zimbabwean and international media outlets have also been targeted by the state in recent weeks.
On Monday, a magistrates' court in the second city Bulawayo sentenced three South Africans to jail terms of between six and seven-and-a-half months after they were found in possession of "illegal transmitting equipment" belonging to the Sky television channel.
Bernet Hasani Sono, Resemate Chauke and Simon Musimani were sentenced to six months in prison over the equipment, which Sky insisted was not used in its election coverage.
Two of the three drivers received additional six-week terms for immigration offences, according to Sky News producer Dan Williams, who said the broadcaster deplored the harsh verdict and would be appealing it.
The WOZA activists were arrested during a March on the Zambian embassy in Harare. The women were calling on Zambia as chair of the 14-nation Southern African Development Community to help bring an end to the post-election violence, Amnesty said.
Police charged the group with "distributing materials likely to cause a breach of the peace."
Williams was additionally charged with "publishing or communicating false statements prejudicial to the state," Amnesty said.
The women were remanded in custody in Chikurubi maximum security prison until their next court appearance on June 6, while the man was being held at Harare central remand prison, the report said.
The state prosecutor won an appeal against the group being granted bail. - Sapa-dpa
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