A court in Zimbabwe late Wednesday ordered the release of a pastor who had been slapped with charges of trying to “overthrow the government by unconstitutional means.”
“I am exhausted, but I am happy about one thing: The magistrate upheld the constitution,” Harrison Nkomo from Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights who led the defense team for Evan Mawarire told CNN.
“There was no way the state would have gone away with it. It was a clear violation of the constitution.”
The clergyman had released messages calling on Zimbabweans to ask President Robert Mugabe’s government to address a failing economy and respect human rights.
Mawarire had been arrested on Tuesday and charged with inciting violence and disturbing the peace before it was raised to a much more serious charge when he appeared in court on Wednesday.
Nkomo said his client had been “ambushed” as Mawarire was supposed to be notified of his charges immediately after his arrest according to the country’s constitution.
Magistrate Vakayi Chikwekwe agreed and immediately ordered his release.
A smiling Mawarire waved to hundreds of supporters outside the court before being whisked away by his family members.
Earlier in the day, his supporters took to social media after hearing news of the charges, starting a #freepastorevan campaign.
Hundreds of his supporters besieged the court, ahead of his appearance, many wearing Zimbabwean flags and singing hymns. Anti-riot police with shields and batons stood guard at the court entrance. But the scenes were peaceful.
Those inside the court witnessed extraordinary scenes as about 100 Zimbabwean lawyers raised their hands and ID cards, when the judge asked who is representing the pastor.
“There is no law that I have broken,” Mawarire told journalists earlier this week.
A viral movement
Using social media platforms, Mawarire started the #ThisFlag campaign earlier this year, calling on Zimbabweans to stop standing on the sidelines and get involved.
With Zimbabwe’s flag around his neck, Mawarire turned a camera on himself and to emotive music riffed on the state of his country using the national flag as a metaphor. “This is a time that a change must happen,” he implored.
The video and hashtag quickly gained traction amongst Zimbabweans, many imitating Mawarire in pictures and videos posted online.
Economic Meltdown
Last week Zimbabweans stayed indoors in large numbers during a national “stay-away” day known as Shutdown Zimbabwe 2016. Activists, including Mawarire, wanted to force the government to address the nation’s economic meltdown.
“The government has completely failed to look after its citizenry, and failed to listen to demands of its citizenry,” he told a local radio station.
Government officials warned that any “disturbances” would feel the “full wrath” of the law.
A stay-away was also called this week, but Zimbabweans mostly returned to work. Teachers, doctors and nurses were already striking because of unpaid June salaries.
Zimbabwe’s economy collapsed in 2009, leaving the Zimbabwean dollar worthless because of hyper-inflation. The country adopted a multicurrency system dominated by the U.S. dollar.
But it hasn’t stopped the severe cash crunch.