Zimbabwean “protest-pastor”, Evan Mawarire was arrested on Sunday at his Harare church. The arrest was in connection to a live Facebook video chat on Saturday evening where he called for Zimbabwean citizens to come together over the growing economic crisis, current fuel shortages and price spikes. He called people to a non-violent “action that is going to speak to government.”
He appeared in court on Monday, where he pleaded not guilty to subversion charges which were launched against him back in February. He is scheduled to appear in court again on Tuesday regarding Sunday’s charges. Mawarire faces a possible 20 year prison sentence if convicted of the multiple charges against him.
The pastor was first arrested following a series of videos he released in 2016. The videos were shared using the hastag #ThisFlag which was Mawarire’s social media campaign. In the videos he was seen wearing Zimbabwe’s flag and calling on Mugabe’s government to address the country’s economic issues and widespread corruption. The videos quickly gained momentum, caused large protests around the country and went on to be one of the most successful job boycotts Zimbabwe had seen in many years.
Following the protests last year Mawarire fled to the United States where he stayed for several months before returning in February when he was charged with subversion. The US embassy in Harare issued a statement on Saturday which asked for Mugabe’s government to ensure a fair trial for the pastor. David McGuire, the spokesman for the US Embassy in Harare said:
“The United States is monitoring the trial of Pastor Evan Mawarire, and calls for an end to arbitrary arrests and intimidation for political purposes. We support freedom of expression and the right of peaceful assembly. We call on the Government of Zimbabwe to respect and to protect the human rights of all persons in Zimbabwe, consistent with international human rights norms.”
Robert Mugabe has been the only leader in Zimbabwe since it gained independence in 1980. During his 37 year reign he has faced opposition, but has always known how to deal brutally with dissent and hold tightly onto power. He is 93 years old and has been in power for 37 years, with no sign that he’s ready to step down. The country is in tatters – economically and physically and opposition is steadily growing with many Zimbabweans simply fed up with the corruption and economic instability.
