Court orders MDC man's release

2007-03-20 12:06

Harare - A court in Zimbabwe has ordered the release of an opposition leader who was arrested at the weekend as he tried to leave the country, it was reported on Tuesday.

Harare High Court Judge Tendai Uchena said he was left with no option but to grant a default judgement in favour of Arthur Mutambara's release after police failed to show up at the hearing, reports the state-controlled Herald.

Mutambara, who leads a faction of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), was arrested on Saturday at Harare International Airport en route to South Africa to visit his wife.

It was the second time in a week that he had been arrested. Mutambara was first arrested on March 11 along with dozens of other opposition and civic rights activists for trying to hold a prayer rally in Harare.

Police accused the organisers of the rally of trying to incite people to violence. They have said none of those arrested could leave the country until their cases had been finalised in the courts.

But in his ruling Judge Uchena said it was clear state prosecutors had not been in favour of Mutambara's arrest.

"In view of the attitude of the AG (attorney general) that he did not know why (Mutambara) was arrested for the second time, the (AG's) office was not supportive of the arrest and his placement in detention," Uchena was quoted as saying in his ruling.

Sapa-dpa

- SAPA