U.S. ‘media activist’ to remain in jail, Zimbabwe court says
HARARE, Zimbabwe — A U.S. woman charged with subversion in Zimbabwe for allegedly insulting the president on Twitter as a “sick man” made her first court appearance Saturday as her lawyers disputed the charges that carry up to 20 years in prison.
Rose Hanzi, a lawyer for Martha O’Donovan, told the court that the subversion charge was illegal because police did not inform O’Donovan of it when she was taken from her home Friday in the capital.
The court disagreed, and O’Donovan will remain in custody over the weekend. Hanzi said they will approach the High Court for bail Monday.
O’Donovan, 25, 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.
O’Donovan is accused of calling President Robert Mugabe, 93, a “sick man” in a Twitter post that included a photo illustration of the president with a catheter.
The charge of subversion carries up to 20 years in prison. O’Donovan also is charged with undermining the authority of or insulting the president
O’Donovanhas denied the allegations as “baseless and malicious.” O’Donovan had been working with local social media outlet Magamba TV, which describes itself as producing “satirical comedy sensations.” O’Donovan, a graduate of New York University, has called herself a manager for Magamba TV and a “media activist.”
It was the first arrest since Mugabe last month appointed a cybersecurity minister, a move criticized by activists as targeting social media.
The State Department said that “we are aware of reports that a U.S. citizen was detained in Zimbabwe. We stand ready to provide appropriate consular assistance for U.S. citizens.”