Treason charge for Zimbabwe opposition politician
Thursday, 12 Jun 2008 19:46
Tendai Biti was arrested at Harare airport
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Zimbabwean police have charged one of the country's leading opposition politicians with treason ahead of the presidential election runoff later this month.
Tendai Biti, the secretary general of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), was arrested as he arrived at Harare's airport on his return from South
Africa.
"We are charging him with treason and communicating statements prejudicial to the state," police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena told the Reuters news agency.
"He is in police custody and we are still investigating the matter."
Treason carries life in prison or the death penalty in Zimbabwean law. He is accused of illegally distributing results of the March 29th poll during the lengthy period before the Electoral Commission finally confirmed Mr Mugabe's failure to win a first-round victory.
News of Mr Biti's arrest came as MDC leader and presidential candidate Morgan Tsvangirai was again detained by police, for the third time in the last week.
MDC supporters have complained of a campaign of repression by police and groups backing the party of Robert Mugabe, Zanu-PF.
Mr Mugabe lost the first-round vote to Mr Tsvangirai but neither won an absolute majority, meaning the election rests on the June 27th runoff.