Tsvangirai beaten up as fears grow for Biti, Mutambara

Tsvangirai beaten up as fears grow for Biti, Mutambara

• Police shoot dead MDC supporter in Highfield

• Tsvangirai, Mutambara arrested in joint rally

• No judge to hear MDC rally ban challenge

• Mugabe bans rallies on birthday

• Morgan Tsvangirai: we must express ourselves through action

• David Coltart: a descent into lawlessness

• Riot police patrol Harare suburb

• 3 feared dead as police crush rally

• Mutambara injured in car crash - party

• Mutambara turns heat on Mugabe

• Mutambara: defying Mugabe, a call to action

• Morgan Tsvangirai: The time to act is now!

• Gugulethu Moyo: Macho does not prove mucho, Mr Mutambara

• Mutambara: setting the Zimbabwean agenda for 2007

By Torby Chimhashu

MORGAN Tsvangirai, the MDC leader who was Sunday abducted by suspected intelligence officers and later brutally assaulted by police in cells is in a bad state, lawyers who saw him Monday have claimed.

There was no word on the other leader of the splintered opposition party, Arthur Mutambara, who was last seen at the Harare Central Police Station at noon on Sunday.

A group of lawyers, including the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) who visited Tsvangirai and other high profile politicians from the splintered MDC, said their clients had been beaten up and suffered varied injuries.

"Tsvangirai can barely walk. He has is battling to recover from the beatings. We only had access to him this morning. The injuries are serious. His state is bad," Irene Petros, acting ZLHR director said.

Tsvangirai is being held at Borrowdale Police Station after he was transferred from Machipisa Police Station Sunday night.

Lovemore Madhuku, chairperson of the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) was also brutally attacked whilst in police custody at Marlborough Police Station. Again, he was moved at night to Marlborough after a brief detention at Machipisa Police Station.

Madhuku, an arch critic of President Robert Mugabe, suffered a broken arm and head injuries . He was taken to Parirenyatwa Hospital at around 4AM Monday by police.

Several other members of the opposition and civic groups, including five MPs, who were arrested Sunday in Highfield as they disembarked from their cars are being held at separate police stations.

Mutambara, leader of the other MDC faction, is detained at Avondale Police S tation after he was taken away from Harare Central Police Station Sunday night.

Lawyers are yet to gain access to him and St Mary's MP Job Sikhala. Lawyers were also keen on Monday to gain access to another legislator, Tendai Biti, whose condition was unknown. Biti is believed to be at Warren Park or Matapi Police Station where other MDC supporters were taken.

Nelson Chamisa, Elton Mangoma and Mike Davies, chairman of the Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) ,are in the hands of the police and intelligence officers at Goromonzi Police Station, while MDC information deputy secretary, Grace Kwinjeh, is at Chitungwiza Police Station.

Police pounced on the officials in Highfield on Sunday minutes before they were due to address a church-sponsored rally which brought together the splintered MDC groups, pressure groups and student unions.

The rally was supposed to be held under the auspices of the Save Zimbabwe Campaign, a grouping of civic groups, labour, opposition parties, students and the church.

One activist was shot dead by police. Police claimed he was a group of 200 that terrorised residents, assaulted police officers and damaged property.

The United States and New Zealand governments called for the release of the detained officials in separate statements Monday.
JOIN THE DEBATE ON THIS ARTICLE ON THE NEWZIMBABWE.COM FORUMS
newsdesk@newzimbabwe.com