FOUR BASHED IN POLICE CUSTODY

 FOUR Harare residents were yesterday left hospitalised after they were assaulted by some Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) officers upon arrest and while in police custody.

The four Harare residents namely John Munikwa, Clyde Mauye, Petros Muchabaiwa and Fanuel Mapfumo sustained severe injuries after they were assaulted by some ZRP officers who arrested them on Monday 31 July 2017 for allegedly assaulting a police officer in Harare.

The four only accessed medical attention after the intervention of their lawyer Gift Mtisi from Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), who had been denied access to his clients since Monday when they were arrested.

Munikwa, Mauye, Muchabaiwa and Mapfumo were set free on Wednesday evening after they failed to appear in court within 48 hours from the time they were arrested.

The ZRP officers have since summoned the four residents to appear in court on Thursday 10 August 2017 and answer to charges of assaulting a police officer.

Meanwhile, ZLHR lawyer Clifford Chinamatira has petitioned the High Court seeking the release on bail of eight Kwekwe residents who were denied bail by Kwekwe Magistrate Livard Phelimon on Friday 28 July 2017.

The eight residents were arrested together with four others on Wednesday 26 July 2017 for allegedly protesting against rampant corruption within the ZRP ranks and were charged with public violence as defined in Section 36 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform Act) and participating in an unlawful gathering as defined in Section 37 of the same Act.

The other four residents were granted $100 bail by Magistrate Phelimon on Friday 28 July 2017 while their co-accused were denied bail after ZRP officers claimed that their investigations were not yet complete.

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