Expulsion of Zimbabwe’s asylum-seeking politician is ‘gravely concerning’, says UN

THE United Nations is “gravely concerned” for the safety of Zimbabwean opposition politician Tendai Biti who has been held by police after a failed attempt to claim asylum in Zambia.

Mr Biti, a veteran figure in the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), made a dash for the border on Wednesday, facing allegations of inciting post-election violence.

Zambian officials rejected his asylum claim and handed him back to Zimbabwean police – in defiance of a court ruling, according to Mr Biti’s lawyers.

The UN refugee agency urged Zambia to investigate the incident, saying it was “gravely concerned about reports of the forced return” of Mr Biti, an internationally respected finance minister in Zimbabwe’s 2009-2013 powersharing government.

“Forcibly returning refugees and asylum seekers to their country of origin is a serious violation of international refugee law,” the agency added. A spokeswoman for the Zambian government said authorities had only received the ruling blocking his expulsion after it was too late.

“The court order only came after he was handed back to the Zimbabwe authorities. His asylum was denied on the basis that in his country there is no breakdown in the rule of law,” she said, adding that Mr Biti was “running away from the due process of the law” as he was wanted by the authorities.

The British embassy in Zimbabwe said yesterday it had spoken to Zimbabwean and Zambian authorities overnight to seek “clear assurances” that Mr Biti’s safety would be guaranteed.

Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights said Mr Biti had been taken to Harare’s central police station.

His detention comes as the MDC claims the security services have launched a brutal crackdown on the opposition following the disputed poll.

Robert Mugabe’s successor President Emmerson Mnangagwa was last week declared the winner of the July 30 election with 50.8 per cent of the vote – just enough to avoid a run-off against MDC leader Nelson Chamisa .

Mr Biti is among nine suspects sought for inciting protests in which the army shot dead six people.