Zimbabwe lawyers protest against state of rule of law

Harare-Zimbabwe lawyers staged a demonstration on Tuesday demanding justice for people detained in jail as well as those facing fast tracked trials after violent protests that rocked the country two weeks ago.

More than 1000 people have been arrested and denied bail in a move that the lawyers have said it is violation against their rights.

The placard wielding lawyers marched demanding the return to rule of law and called for an end to the politicisation of the Judiciary system.

The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human rights (ZLHR) says the arrests and detentions, most for public order offences, have exceeded the legal system’s capacity.

ZLHR says more than 50 suspects have been acquitted while the same number have been convicted and most of them have had no legal representation.

Some of the lawyers marching through Harare carried placards inscribed with the words: “Systemic beatings, detentions silence the rule of law” while another sign read “#No to judicial capture, #justice not politics; #no to militarization of magistracy”.

They walked from the Law Society of Zimbabwe offices to the Constitutional Court, where they presented a petition.

There has been a massive crackdown against member of the opposition MDC-Alliance as they are alleged to have been behind the violent protests that left many shops and properties vandalised.

However, the opposition has said they are were not responsible for the organisation of the protests.