SIXTEEN suspected anti-government protesters, who were arrested in Harare last month following a wave of violent demonstrations, were yesterday granted $50 bail each after High Court judge Justice Happias Zhou ruled they were suitable candidates for bail.
Source: 16 ‘demonstrators’ released on $50 bail – NewsDay Zimbabwe September 20, 2016
BY CHARLES LAITON
The suspects were represented by Jeremiah Bamu from the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) and Tapson Dzvetero.
Zhou said the State had failed to provide compelling reasons justifying the groups’ continued incarceration.
As part of their bail conditions, the suspects were ordered to report to CID Law and Order section every Friday, desist from engaging in any demonstrations, reside at their given addresses and not to interfere with State witnesses.
Meanwhile, 54 suspected protesters, who were also arrested in August this year on public violence charges, were yesterday denied bail again by a Harare magistrate on the basis that they were facing a serious offence.
They have been in custody for nearly a month after they were arrested on public violence charges allegedly committed in the city centre.
Through their lawyers from ZLHR, the suspects had filed a fresh bail application citing changed circumstances.
In another related matter, High Court Judge President, Justice George Chiweshe, postponed to September 27 the hearing of the matter in which opposition political parties are challenging a police ban on demonstrations.
They were ordered to file heads of argument.
The parties filed an urgent chamber application following a prohibition order by the police banning the holding of demonstrations against police brutality and President Robert Mugabe’s 36-year rule.
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