The International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) and Lawyers for Lawyers (L4L) have welcomed the decision of the National Prosecution Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ) to drop charges brought against two human rights lawyers, Douglas Coltart and Tapiwa Muchineripi.
Coltart and Muchineripi were arrested on 4 September 2023 and charged with obstructing the course of justice and impeding the police from discharging their professional duty.
The two lawyers were accused of blocking police from questioning their clients, Womberaishe Nhende and Sanele Mkhuhlani, who are members of the opposition political party Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC).
Nhende and Mkhuhlani were hospitalised after being abducted and tortured by state agents.
On 26 January, NPAZ withdrew the charges against the two lawyers due to a lack of evidence to sustain the prosecution.
The IBAHRI and L4L welcomed the decision by NPAZ but expressed concern over the ongoing pressure on Zimbabwe’s legal profession, as evidenced most recently by the intimidation and harassment of human rights lawyer Harrison Nkomo.
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