SW Radio Africa news - The Independent Voice of Zimbabwe
Two officials from the Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights) have been acquitted by a Harare magistrate, after being accused of fraud and other criminal charges.
ZimRights was also being criminally tried as an organisation, but the group was also acquitted by Magistrate Donald Ndirowei on Friday.
The case stretches back to last year, when some ZimRights officials were arrested and accused of conducting illegal voter registration. The organisation was then charged as an entity in January.
ZimRights Director Okay Machisa and Education Programs Officer Leo Chamahwinya were facing allegations that they were involved in ‘illegal voter registration’ and forging voter registration certificates “to tarnish the name of the Registrar General”.
They were being tried along with four other ZimRights officials, Dorcas Shereni, Farai Bhani, Tatenda Chinaka and Nunurayi Jena.
Machisa and Chamahwinya had all charges against them dropped on Friday because of a lack of evidence. But the remaining four ZimRights officials will still face court hearings.
Analysts had viewed the court case as targeted persecution against the organisation and its employees ahead of the forthcoming elections.
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