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Zimbabwe high court dismisses charges against rights activist Mukoko

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] Zimbabwe's Supreme Court dismissed charges Monday against ten people, including rights activist Jestina Mukoko, who had been charged with conspiring against President Robert Mugabe. The court held that Mukoko, who is the director of the Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP), was tortured by security forces and denied access to legal and medical assistance in violation of her constitutional rights. The court ruled that since Mukoko's rights were violated, she cannot be tried in connection with the crimes for which she was held. The judge said that the full judgment will be made available at a later date. In May, Mukoko was released on bail, one day after a court forced her back into custody after ruling she had been improperly released on bail in March. Mukoko was held without charges from December through March. Mukoko was hospitalized for the treatment of injuries sustained during her detention and remained under medical care after her release from police custody. While in prison, it was reported that Mukoko was forced to ingest poison, an allegation that sparked a world-wide protest against Zimbabwean police methods. During her detention, Mukoko was denied bail by Zimbabwean lower courts, but another court ruled that Mukoko could appeal her detention to the Supreme Court of Zimbabwe under the Zimbabwe Constitution.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on September 28, 2009 (boomark / email).