Zimbabwean police have arrested four civic society leaders who were forcibly removed from a flight from Harare to Victoria Falls by state security agents at the Robert Mugabe International Airport.
According to the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, those arrested are Robson Chere of the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe, education leader Namatai Kwekweza Councillor Samuel Gwenzi and Vusumuzi Sibanda.
Police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi said he was unaware of the arrests and did not know where the four were taken by state security agents.
In a late evening report, the lawyers body said it has finally located the four and one of them, Chere, was severely tortured.
They are facing charges of disorderly conduct in that they participated in a public peaceful march outside the Harare magistrates courts a week ago where 78 opposition Citizens Coalition for Change were appearing for a remand hearing in a case in which they are accused of attending an event to mark the Day of the African Child without police clearance.
"@ZLHRLawyers final access @namataik_ , Robson Chere,
@cdegwenzi & Vusumuzi Moyo. They were incommunicado detention for at least 8 hours. Robson was visibly tortured & in severe pain. They have been advised that their charge is disorderly conduct. The allegations are they participated in a demonstration at RottenRow when Jameson Timba & others appeared at court. They are spending the night at Harare Central police station. At RGM Airport, they were held incommunicado by state agents."
The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights said the torturing of any person is against the law. It’s unclear about who tortured them but indications are that they were under state security forces who detained the four at an unidentified location for eight hours.
Zimbabwe is has launched a crackdown on opponents of the government as the nations is preparing for a Southern African Development Community Summit to be held in Harare.
Opponents of the government have been barred from protesting in the streets with the government expressing fears over the safety of heads of state and government scheduled to attend the SADC Summit next month.