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Zimbabwe cabinet nominee trial set for October

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] The lawyer for jailed Zimbabwe opposition cabinet member-designate Roy Bennett said Wednesday that his trial on terrorism charges will begin on October 13. Trust Maanda said that prosecutors have also revised the conditions of Bennett's bail, requiring him to report bi-monthly to police, rather than three times a week. Bennett, the treasurer general of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, faces charges under Zimbabwe's Public Order and Security Act for "attempting to commit terrorism, banditry and sabotage." Bennett, who was arrested in February shortly before he was scheduled to be sworn as deputy agriculture minister in the new power-sharing coalition government led by Tsvangirai, is accused of funding the purchase of fire arms and explosives intended to be used as part of an insurgency. It is feared that Bennett's arrest could pose a threat to the power-sharing agreement between the MDC and the African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) party of President Robert Mugabe. Bennett was originally sought for questioning in relation to the allegations in 2006, but he had been seeking asylum in South Africa until recently. Treason charges against him were dropped in favor of the terrorism and other charges.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on July 01, 2009 (boomark / email).