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20 April 2008
HARARE (AFP) — Zimbabwe police are detaining at least 75 opposition supporters for offences linked to a strike last week to force the release of results from last month's presidential poll, their lawyer said Sunday.
"There are at least 75 detained as we speak," Alec Muchadehama, the lawyer for the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), told AFP.
"They were arrested since Tuesday. Some were literally abducted from their homes. Police were literally hunting down anyone who has connections with the MDC..." he said. The police were not available for comments on Sunday.
They, however, said on Friday that they had arrested 78 MDC youths. Muchadehama said at a point there were at least 120 MDC supporters and family members detained in connection with the strike but some were released after paying fines.
"The ones who remain in custody are being charged with attempted murder, disorderly conduct and malicious damage to property. It is an assortment of charges literally being thrown at them," he said.
Muchadehama said a team of lawyers was battling to have the suspects released as some of them required medical treatment after they were assaulted by police. "We are still trying since last week to get the police to bring them to court so that we can arrange for them to get medical treatment," he said.
"There are some who require urgent medical attention, including one who lost some teeth and one who cannot relieve himself and is being held at Southerton police station. MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa said: "These are trumped up charges and the detention is an act of victimisation to instil fear among Zimbabweans."
The MDC had last week called on workers to stay at home indefinitely after the high court on Monday rejected its petition to force the electoral commission to immediately declare the outcome of the March 29 poll. The strike went largely unheeded.
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Nehanda Radio: Zimbabwe's first 24 hour internet radio news channel.