The World Movement condemns the recent detention of seven civil society leaders in Zimbabwe, as part of an ongoing crackdown on the rights of Zimbabwean citizens and civil society members. The individuals were arbitrarily charged with “subverting a constitutionally elected government” for attending a workshop on non-violent protest in the Maldives. These arrests directly violate laws enshrined in Zimbabwe’s own constitution, which the new government has promised to uphold.

The activists were held for over two weeks before being released on bail, after a judge acknowledged that authorities violated Chapter 4 of the Constitution—the chapter that outlines the state’s responsibility to uphold and protect human rights—by arbitrarily detaining them. Although all activists have been released, they are required to report to a police station daily and their charges have not been dropped. We join civil society in Zimbabwe in calling on the government to cease its harassment of civil society and to drop all charges brought against the activists. Read our full DemocracyAlert to learn more about the situation.