Leading Zimbabwe human rights campaigner and former television anchor, Jestina Mukoko, has been released from prison after being granted bail, writes our correspondent.
Mukoko, director of the Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP), was released from three months of detention on March 1, following a meeting between President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.
The meeting followed worldwide pressure for Mugabe to release Mukoko and 30 other abductees who were accused of banditry activities and trying to overthrow the Zimbabwean leader.
Mukoko was granted R6000 bail and provided surety worth R200 000 as well as reporting to the Police twice a week.
“It’s a sad indictment of our justice system that it couldn’t do anything at all to release her before today," Beatrice Mtetwa, Mukoko’s lead lawyer told journalists after her client's release. “It’s amazing how three months of your life can be taken away just like that, and the justice system doesn’t do anything about it.â€ÂÂ
Mukoko was abducted by 12 gunmen from her home outside Harare on 3 December and spent weeks at a secret location before she was brought to court on December 24 2008.
She was accused of "recruiting bandits" on behalf of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) to undergo military training in Botswana.
Mukoko and her lawyers claimed she was severely tortured by secret service operatives during her detention at a maximum prison.
Meanwhile, a new Zimbabwe radio station has been launched in the United Arab Emirates.
Zimbabwe Community Radio is broadcasting from the United Arab Emirates in a bid to create awareness of the value of community radio for development, freedom of speech and promotion of local culture especially among marginalised minorities in the country.
Its daily broadcasts are aired between 10PM and 11PM on shortwave.
Zimbabwe Community Radio broadcasts in the country's three main languages – English, Ndebele and Shona.
It becomes the fourth station to be run outside the country, joining SW Radio (London), Voice of America (VOA) Studio 7 (Washington) and Radio Voice of The People (VOP).
