Martha O’Donovan, 25, was accused of insulting Zimbabwean
President Robert Mugabe.
An American woman charged with subversion in Zimbabwe for
allegedly insulting the country’s president will remain in police custody this
weekend after making her first court appearance Saturday.
Martha O’Donovan, 25, a graduate of New York University, has
been accused of calling President Robert Mugabe, 93, a “sick man” in a Twitter
post that included a photo illustration of Mugabe with a catheter. O’Donovan
denied the allegations, calling them “baseless and malicious.”
O’Donovan’s lawyer, Rose Hanzi, told the court that a
subversion charge was illegal because police did not inform the woman of it
when she was taken from her home in the capital, Harare, on Friday morning.
The court disagreed and ruled that O’Donovan will remain in
custody over the weekend. Hanzi said on Monday they will approach the High
Court for bail.
O’Donovan made no statement in court and showed no emotion as
the request was dismissed. She waved to a small crowd of supporters as she was
escorted into a prison truck.
The American had been working with a local social media
outlet Magamba TV, which described itself as producing “satirical comedy
sensations.” She called herself a manager for Magamba TV and a “media
activist.”
Earlier this year, she presented a talk at a re:publica
digital culture conference on "How Zimbabweans Rebel Online."
O’Donovan’s arrest was the first since Mugabe appointed a
cybersecurity minister last month. Zimbabwe was shaken last year by the biggest
anti-government protests in a decade. Frustration is growing in the once
prosperous southern African nation as the economy collapses and the president,
in power for more than 35 years, is already running for next year's elections.
Mugabe’s wife Grace was rumored to take over the presidency
after the president, who has been rumored to be in declining health, resigns or
dies. The first lady was not well-liked among the country’s citizens due to her
lavish spending and fear of being criticized, The Guardian reported.
The group representing O'Donovan, Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human
Rights says it has represented nearly 200 people charged for allegedly
insulting Mugabe, the world's oldest head of state, in recent years.
"This arrest marks the start of a sinister new chapter
in the Zimbabwean government's clampdown on freedom of speech, and the new
battleground is social media," said Amnesty International's deputy
regional director, Muleya Mwananyanda. The statement said Zimbabwe authorities
tracked tweets to O'Donovan's IP address.
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