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Zim online video sentences suspended

By Tawanda Karombo, Journalist
Zimbabwe, 17 Apr 2012

Six Zimbabweans, convicted of watching online videos of Egypt's Arab Spring protests, have had their sentences suspended.

Late last year, police caught the six at a lecture hall viewing Internet footage of Egypt's January 2011 protests, which led to the ousting of former president Hosni Mubarak.

The Zimbabwean “activists” were tried and found guilty of a "conspiracy to commit acts of public violence". Those who watched the videos initially faced up to 10 years in prison on the charge, but the court sentenced the six instead to 420 hours community service and a $500 fine each.

However, lawyers representing the accused have now successfully managed to get this sentence suspended.

Alec Muchadehama, the legal representative for the accused, said the suspension of the sentencing would allow for an appeal process against the ruling and the sentence to occur more “smoothly”.

“The judge agreed with us and suspended the sentence pending the hearing and conclusion of our appeal.”

The suspension of the sentences follows widespread campaigns against the court ruling. Human and civic rights organisations in Zimbabwe said the ruling and sentencing set a bad precedent against freedom of expression and access to information in the country.

A civic rights lobby group, the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, called for the sentencing and the verdict to be overhauled by the courts.

“To then sentence these activists, based on the fact that they watched a video, is bad for democracy and free access to information,” said Timothy Tauraya, a human rights campaigner.

National Constitution Assembly chairman and University of Zimbabwe law lecturer, Dr Lovemore Madhuku, said the group had done nothing wrong.

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