Human rights activists have denounced a Harare court's guilty verdict against six people, who were charged with conspiring to commit public violence, for viewing online videos showing mass protests in Egypt's January 2011 uprising.
Munyaradzi Gwisai and five others were arrested last year, after police raided a public lecture that was showing the video footage, sourced from the Internet.
Those who watched the videos initially faced up to 10 years in prison for the charge, but, instead, were sentenced yesterday to 420 hours of community service and a $500 fine each.
Human rights groups in Zimbabwe were relieved about the lighter sentence, but they condemned the charges.
National Constitution Assembly chairman and University of Zimbabwe law lecturer, Dr Lovemore Madhuku, said Gwisai and his group had done nothing wrong in watching the Arab Spring revolution videos.
“There is no crime committed by Gwisai, it's very clear,” said Madhuku.
Dewa Mavhinga, a director with the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, said: “As civil society leaders, we totally reject this kind of political persecution in the form of legal prosecution.”
Leslie Lefkow, Human Rights Watch's Africa deputy director, said: “In the Middle East, people get arrested for taking part in peaceful protests, but in Zimbabwe they get sent to prison just for watching them on video.”
Meanwhile, Gwisai has said he will appeal against both his conviction and sentencing.
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