Zimbabwe court convicts opposition leader and 34 activists after 5 months of pre-trial detention

Associated Press

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — A Zimbabwean court has convicted an opposition leader and 34 other activists on charges of participating in an unlawful gathering, more than five months after they were taken into pre-trial detention. Jameson Timba, from the splintered Citizens Coalition for Change opposition party, and the activists face five years in jail or a fine after being found guilty of participating in a gathering with the intent to promote violence, breaches of peace or bigotry. A magistrate acquitted 30 others. Ccritics and human rights groups say the arrests are part of a clampdown on dissenting voices by President Emmerson Mnangagwa. Mnangagwa took power in 2017 following a popular coup and promised an end to decades of authoritarianism.