Police in Zimbabwe on Monday arrested an opposition leader and an outspoken journalist ahead of anti-government and anti-graft protests planned for July 31, lawyers said.
The two were arrested separately in Harare in a seemingly coordinated operation.
“We confirm both Hopewell Chin’ono and Jacob Ngarivhume are at the law and order section at Harare central police station,” Rose Hanzi, director of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights told AFP.
“We don’t have details yet relating to the allegations,” she said, adding that police smashed a glass door to bust into Chin’ono’s house.
A video clip recorded at the journalist’s house showed the shattered glass door, with his lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa saying she had received “an SOS that his home had been surrounded by about eight state security agents. They broke the glass at the door and gained entry.”
There was no immediate comment from the police or government on the arrests.
