Free all the Zimbabwe activists

THANKS IN part to an international outcry, a Zimbabwean magistrate has ordered 39 out of 45 of the recently imprisoned socialists and activists to be released--but six remain in jail, facing charges of treason that carry the death penalty.

In February, the group of activists, students and trade unionists were arrested in Harare in a police raid on a meeting to discuss events in Egypt and Tunisia, and commemorate the life of HIV activist Navigator Mungoni. The meeting was called by Munyaradzi Gwisai, a lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe's law school, general coordinator of the International Socialist Organization (ISO) of Zimbabwe, and a former member of Zimbabwe's parliament.

Gwisai and at least 11 others have been tortured while in state custody--receiving lashes as well as being beaten with broom handles and metal rods.

At a hearing on March 7, the magistrate reportedly stated that the six activists, by focusing on the possibility of doing what had been done in Egypt--overthrowing the regime of Hosni Mubarak--may have committed a "conspiracy." In a hopeful sign, the magistrate also reportedly stated that the report of the state's one witness--a police officer who attended the meeting--was not credible.

Activists around the globe are continuing to mobilize support for those who remain imprisoned. A number of trade unions, civil organizations and others have passed resolutions and released statements in support of the activists.

In the U.S., activists have held pickets at the Zimbabwean Embassy in Washington, D.C., and the country's Consulate in New York City. There are plans for more pickets on March 9--in Washington at 12 Noon, and in New York City at 12:30 p.m.

THE ATTACK on these activists comes as Zimbabwean dictator Robert Mugabe attempts to quell dissent in the run-up to elections later this year. Since January, hundreds of members of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, as well as others who oppose Mugabe's rule, have been rounded up under similar false pretenses.

The six activists still facing charges--Munyaradzi Gwisai, gender activist Antonater Choto, Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) leaders Welcome Zimuto and Eddson Chakuma, labor activist Tatenda Mombeyarara, and anti-debt campaigner Hopewell Gumbo--continue to face brutal mistreatment behind bars. According to a CNN report:

Immediately after the ruling, the activists' attorney Charles Kwaramba told the court that his clients were being detained in solitary confinement while the women were being forced to work at the prison. "We seriously object to this. They are still innocent, and there is no need to punish them," said Kwaramba. "Their right of liberty is being seriously infringed. That amounts to slavery. It must not be allowed in a democratic society."

According to another report being circulated on the Internet, in addition to torture, solitary confinement and hard labor, the activists are facing appalling conditions inside the prison itself:

Prisoners are fed one meal a day, consisting of a maize meal like porridge with boiled beans or cabbage. Those fortunate enough to have visitors will enjoy a proper meal that includes meat and vegetables.

Shantha Bloemen, the partner of Munyaradzi Gwisai, one of the 45 detainees, tweeted that the prisoners had also been infected with lice due to the unhygienic conditions in the prisons.

Blankets are rarely washed. Any soiling on them is simply left for the next prisoner to endure. There is no luxury of sheets here.

In another tweet Shantha states: "We are sitting in office at national HQ prison. Walls needing paint, piles of yellowing paper and prison calendar entitled story behind walls. Three huge mercs plus big four wheel drive sit in center of open courtyard."

The six activists who remain imprisoned will face a bail hearing on March 9, and the court will decide on the bail requests by March 11, with another court appearance set for March 21.

We need to keep up the pressure on the Zimbabwe government until all the activists are released.