Action Alert 2 (updated ~ 5pm): Morgan Tsvangirai has just been arrested
Updated: ~ 5pm – Morgan Tsvangirai released
President Morgan Tsvangirai has been released from Kwekwe police station after being detained for the past two hours. Upon his release, President Tsvangirai and his entourage of 20 people, immediately resumed their campaign meeting throngs of enthusiastic supporters in Kwekwe.
~4pm
President Morgan Tsvangirai has been arrested by Zimbabwean police and is currently being held at Kwekwe police station. He and his entourage of 20 people were detained at a roadblock outside of Kwekwe while conducting a campaign tour through Midlands province.
Please note we have two action alerts today: for Morgan Tsvangirai and Tendai Biti, both of whom have been arrested today. Please help with both.
Call Kwekwe Police Station
According to the MDC, Morgan Tsvangirai is currently being detained in Kwekwe Police Station. Please call the police station and alert them to the fact that the world is watching.
Telephone number for the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) – Kwekwe
Officer in charge: +263 (0)55 22210
Charge office enquiries: +263 (0)55 24541 to 6
We believe the officer in charge is Superintendent Madya, and he can be called on +263 55 22208
If those don’t work then try these numbers as well.
+263 (0)55 68601
+263 (0)55 68602
Please communicate with the police politely
Remind them that Tsvangirai won the majority of the Presidential Vote on March 29th. Ask them to keep in mind that the votes cast on the 29th clearly showed that person they have in their charge is extremely popular among the people of Zimbabwe appears destined to be the next leader of the country.
Warn them to consider everything they do very carefully: they must be careful that they are not one day held accountable for crimes committed by their seniors. Advise them that under International Law, the excuse “I was just following orders†is not accepted and will not protect them.
Tell them that we have every confidence that the police in Zimbabwe can act professionally, and that the rest of the world sympathises with the fact that their jobs have been corrupted by politics and difficult for them to do and that they work under terrible pressure. But ask that they stand strong and stay extremely professional with regards to the man they have in their custody. He must be treated with respect and fairness and given full access to legal respresentation as is his human right.
Tell them them that the world will not tolerate a repeat of the abuse and ill treatment Morgan Tsvangirai received while in Police Custody in March 2007. If they are being manipulated by senior officers to do things that violate the law and human rights, they must do all they can to communicate this to the outside world.
Tell them that they and Morgan Tsvangirai and all of Zimbabwe are in your prayers.
Please add your concerns about Morgan Tsvangirai to your emails for Tendai Biti – see all the email addresses etc in our earlier action alert here.
This alert sent out on our Twitter account. Create your own Twitter account and link to ours to receive alerts via cell phones.
June 12th, 2008 16:27
I phoned the Kwe Kwe Police Station charge office enquiries and the lady told me she had just come on duty and knew nothing. She then referred me to the officer in charge was told that Mr Tsvangarai and the others were not there, they had gone. I asked then asked for the name of the officer in charge and was referred to another number, +263 55 22208. They referred me to +263 55 22205. The man who answered did not give me his name but said he did not know anything about Mr Tsvangirai. Each person took a long time to come to the phone.
June 12th, 2008 17:02
Presumably they subscribe to twitter and knew you were coming!!
BBC says the police will charge Biti. If they meant to do this, why hadn’t they obtained a warrant? I can’t abide incompetence.
June 12th, 2008 22:48
British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said in a statement that they believe it is harassment. Said that if there are no credible charges he (Biti) should be released immediately. He said that the international community is watching and that they hold the Zimbabwean government responsible for MDC Secretary General Tendai Biti’s physical safety.
http://www.africasia.com/services/news/newsitem.php?area=africa&item=080612180438.h3p5uhai.php
June 13th, 2008 10:29
This on the BBC now
‘Robert Mugabe warns Zimbabwe’s war veterans are ready to fight to stop the MDC gaining power, state media report. ‘
Goes on to say Mugabe says the country was won at the barrel of a gun and wont be lost at a pen stroke.