Beatrice Mtetwa continues to face charges of "defeating or obstructing the course of justice" for asking police officers to produce a warrant when searching the homes of four government officials.
The following is a CPJ blog post:
By Mohamed Keita/CPJ Africa Advocacy Coordinator
Beatrice Mtetwa, a tenacious lawyer who has won accolades for stubbornly defending Zimbabwean journalists and others persecuted by Robert Mugabe’s regime, regained her freedom today after a hellish week that began on March 17 when she was arrested and charged with the criminal offense of “defeating or obstructing the course of justice.”
Police officers claimed she shouted at them while they were conducting a search of the homes of four officials from the prime minister’s office. Mtetwa said she was merely demanding the officers produce a warrant. A high court judge ordered her immediate release that day, but police stalled, keeping her in custody by transferring Mtetwa from one Harare police station to another to prevent her lawyers from being able to present the court order. It was disturbing to see one of Zimbabwe’s most pre-eminent lawyers in the back of a police pick-up or in a green prison uniform, and the outrage manifested in local, regional, and international solidarity, including demonstrations, protest letters and use of the hash tag #BeatriceMtetwa. In a public letter, CPJ appealed to the justice minister to ensure that the state comply with the judge’s order and set her free.
“As a result of you watching, making tweets, there has been a more careful handling of her case, we thank you for that,” Tawanda Zhuwarara, one of her lawyers, told CPJ last week.