Zimbabwean police have detained opposition leader Jameson Timba and over 70 others on charges of disorderly conduct following a private meeting held over the weekend, Timba’s lawyer confirmed on Monday.
Timba, who assumed interim leadership of the official opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) after Nelson Chamisa’s resignation in January, was apprehended alongside his son.
“They have been charged with disorderly conduct and participating in an unlawful gathering and they will be appearing in court tomorrow,” Timba’s lawyer Agency Gumbo told media.
Gumbo explained that the group, held at different police stations in Harare, allegedly faced accusations of throwing stones at police during an unauthorized gathering.
Several of those detained required medical attention, Gumbo noted on social media.
The arrests occurred at a private residence in Harare’s Avondale suburb, added Gumbo.
Following disputed elections last year, Zimbabwe’s opposition has faced a series of crackdowns and detentions, with critics accusing the ruling ZANU-PF party of using legal means to stifle dissent.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa secured a second term with 52.6 percent of the vote, while Chamisa garnered 44 percent, according to official results. The CCC, rejecting the outcome as flawed, has called for fresh elections.
Both regional and international observers have criticized the electoral process for numerous irregularities.
“We demand the immediate release of our champions. They violated no law. Their arrest is a human rights issue!” Gumbo said on X.
