Zimbabwe pastor appears in court for criticising Mugabe, faces 20-yr jail term

Appearing in maroon slacks, pastor Evans Mawarire of the #ThisFlag movement in Zimbabwe appeared before a High Court yesterday to answer charges of attempting to subvert the government led by Robert Mugabe.

The clergyman during court proceedings pleaded not guilty to two charges of subverting the government and two charges of inciting public violence. The latter carries a penalty of up to 10 years in jail.

According to state prosecutor Chris Mtungadura, the social media posts by Evans last year were meant to incite the population to overthrow the government. The state has lined up eight witnesses.

Read also: Zimbabwe prophet courts trouble, predicts date for Mugabe’s death

“He was exercising his constitutional rights of challenging the policies of government. This … was done in a lawful manner,” defence lawyer Harrison Nkomo told the court.

According to his lawyer Harrison Nkomo, his client Evans was nabbed by cops as he stepped down from his pulpit and has been charged with subversion, for a Facebook video he posted on Saturday lambasting the government of Mugabe over its economic policies.

The embattled pastor has been at the heart of a protest movement against Mugabe’s 37-year rule. In 2016, he led a stay-at-home demonstration that resulted in the first of his now three arrests for what the state says are attempts to overthrow the government.

 

RipplesNigeria… without borders, without fears

Click here to join the Ripples Nigeria WhatsApp group for latest updates.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now