It must be a bugger to be so thick
Gwisai and others guilty of treason
Started by
Great Mambo Chabvonga
, Mar 19 2012 03:40 PM
63 replies to this topic
#25
Posted 19 March 2012 - 05:29 PM
#33
Posted 19 March 2012 - 10:04 PM
6 Convicted for Watching Arab Spring News in Zimbabwe
http://www.nytimes.com/
By LYDIA POLGREEN
Published: March 19, 2012
JOHANNESBURG — Six political activists in Zimbabwe who gathered last year to
watch and discuss television news broadcasts of the Arab Spring protests
were convicted on Monday of plotting to overthrow the government.
The penalty could be 10 years in prison. They are to be sentenced on
Tuesday.
Some 45 activists, students and trade unionists were arrested last February
while attending a meeting convened by Munyaradzi Gwisai, a lecturer at the
law school at the University of Zimbabwe and a former member of Parliament
for Zimbabwe’s main opposition party, to discuss the antiauthoritarian
uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia.
Prosecutors claimed that Mr. Gwisai and the others were planning to start a
similar uprising in Zimbabwe aimed at toppling President Robert G. Mugabe,
who has been in power for three decades. Most of the defendants were later
released, but six, including Mr. Gwisai, were charged with serious crimes.
Lawyers for the accused said the meeting was an academic discussion, not a
planning session for a revolution.
The judge in the case, Kudakwashe Jarabini, said in court that while
watching videos of the Arab uprisings was not a crime, the organizers had
intended to incite hostility toward the government by playing them,
according to people in the courtroom.
Mr. Mugabe’s ZANU-PF party has been in a tenuous unity government with the
main opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change, led by Morgan
Tsvangirai, since the 2008 election. Mr. Tsvangirai won the most votes but
dropped out of the race because of violence against his supporters.
International pressure led to the creation of a unity government. But Mr.
Mugabe retained the most crucial government posts, particularly those that
control the police and the army.
Mr. Mugabe’s party has been pushing hard for new elections, hoping to retake
power while Mr. Mugabe, 88, whose health has grown more fragile, remains
alive. But the Movement for Democratic Change and many activists and
analysts have argued against holding elections before a new constitution is
drawn up and crucial institutions, like the election commission, are
reformed. An estimated 350 people died in violence during the 2008 election.
Shortly after the 45 activists were arrested last year, a lawyer working for
them reported that a dozen had been tortured to try to force them to testify
for the state — beaten with broomsticks, metal rods and blunt objects — and
that six had been lashed. The accusations prompted a letter of concern from
the United Nations torture investigator, Juan E. Méndez.
Dewa Mavhinga of the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, a collection of hundreds
of civic groups, said it appeared that the window for change in Zimbabwe was
closing.
“It is an indicator that we are really going towards elections and that the
democratic space that was previously somewhat open is quickly closing down,”
Mr. Mavhinga said. “There is no crime that has been committed. It is a
political issue that is being dealt with a politicized and severely
compromised judiciary.”
http://www.nytimes.com/
By LYDIA POLGREEN
Published: March 19, 2012
JOHANNESBURG — Six political activists in Zimbabwe who gathered last year to
watch and discuss television news broadcasts of the Arab Spring protests
were convicted on Monday of plotting to overthrow the government.
The penalty could be 10 years in prison. They are to be sentenced on
Tuesday.
Some 45 activists, students and trade unionists were arrested last February
while attending a meeting convened by Munyaradzi Gwisai, a lecturer at the
law school at the University of Zimbabwe and a former member of Parliament
for Zimbabwe’s main opposition party, to discuss the antiauthoritarian
uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia.
Prosecutors claimed that Mr. Gwisai and the others were planning to start a
similar uprising in Zimbabwe aimed at toppling President Robert G. Mugabe,
who has been in power for three decades. Most of the defendants were later
released, but six, including Mr. Gwisai, were charged with serious crimes.
Lawyers for the accused said the meeting was an academic discussion, not a
planning session for a revolution.
The judge in the case, Kudakwashe Jarabini, said in court that while
watching videos of the Arab uprisings was not a crime, the organizers had
intended to incite hostility toward the government by playing them,
according to people in the courtroom.
Mr. Mugabe’s ZANU-PF party has been in a tenuous unity government with the
main opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change, led by Morgan
Tsvangirai, since the 2008 election. Mr. Tsvangirai won the most votes but
dropped out of the race because of violence against his supporters.
International pressure led to the creation of a unity government. But Mr.
Mugabe retained the most crucial government posts, particularly those that
control the police and the army.
Mr. Mugabe’s party has been pushing hard for new elections, hoping to retake
power while Mr. Mugabe, 88, whose health has grown more fragile, remains
alive. But the Movement for Democratic Change and many activists and
analysts have argued against holding elections before a new constitution is
drawn up and crucial institutions, like the election commission, are
reformed. An estimated 350 people died in violence during the 2008 election.
Shortly after the 45 activists were arrested last year, a lawyer working for
them reported that a dozen had been tortured to try to force them to testify
for the state — beaten with broomsticks, metal rods and blunt objects — and
that six had been lashed. The accusations prompted a letter of concern from
the United Nations torture investigator, Juan E. Méndez.
Dewa Mavhinga of the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, a collection of hundreds
of civic groups, said it appeared that the window for change in Zimbabwe was
closing.
“It is an indicator that we are really going towards elections and that the
democratic space that was previously somewhat open is quickly closing down,”
Mr. Mavhinga said. “There is no crime that has been committed. It is a
political issue that is being dealt with a politicized and severely
compromised judiciary.”
#36
Posted 20 March 2012 - 04:23 AM
Kaguvi18, on 19 March 2012 - 05:02 PM, said:
That's good news any African who engages in division of Africans should be jailed for life.
Try different positions with the same woman instead of same position with different women
#37
Posted 20 March 2012 - 06:17 AM
This is great. I think it's important for developing nations to have the proper legal tool to deal with security matter and destabilization from outside (or inside for that matter which often have the same foreign source). Which often lead to a lot of unnecessary death and economic damages. Although the perpetrators here didn't face treason charges but charges of conspiracy to commit public violence. Which is a grave but lighter offense. That's how you deal with criminals in a civilize way. Much better than the American government's Guantanamo bay style.
"We don't get support from the United State government. The United State government does not support political party" - Tsvangirai on BBC Hardtalk
#39
Posted 20 March 2012 - 06:47 AM
Professor GBH, on 20 March 2012 - 06:28 AM, said:
In the USA and the UK young men are sent to prison for downloading Al Qaeda news letters...

"We don't get support from the United State government. The United State government does not support political party" - Tsvangirai on BBC Hardtalk
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