HARARE – Five human rights activists were remanded in custody on Thursday after they were charged over an alleged plot to topple President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government.

Tatenda Mombeyarara, 37, of the International Socialist Organisation, George Makoni, 39, of the Centre for Community Development in Zimbabwe, Nyasha Frank Mpahlo, 35, of Green Governance Zimbabwe, Gamuchirai Mukura, 31, of Community Tolerance Reconciliation and Development (COTRAD) and Farirai Gumbonzvanda, a volunteer at Rosaria Memorial Trust, appeared before Harare magistrate Hosea Mujaya for a second day on Thursday.

Lawyers for the five, who were arrested at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport while returning from a foreign trip, had filed an application challenging their placement on remand.

The lawyers said prosecutors had no case against the five, and were instead on a fishing expedition hoping that computers seized from the group would yield evidence of criminality.

Prosecutors Charles Muchemwa, George Manokore and Francesca Mukumbiri failed to provide defence lawyers with key details of the charges, saying they had to make an application to the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (POTRAZ) which is examining the computers.

In the end, Mujaya ruled that there was a reasonable suspicion that the five committed the offence and decided to place them on remand.

Lawyers for the five said they were approaching the High Court to secure their release on bail.

Prosecutors charged the five with subversion over claims they attended a workshop in the Maldives where they were “trained on how to mobilise citizens to turn against the government of Zimbabwe.”

Prosecutors say in the allegations: “On May 13, 2019, accused who are members of various civic society organisations connived with their accomplices who are still at large and travelled to the Maldives, where they underwent a training workshop organised by a Serbian NGO called Centre for Applied Non-Violent Action and Strategies with intention to subvert a constitutionally elected government of the Republic of Zimbabwe.

“During the workshop, accused were trained on how to mobilise citizens to turn against the government of Zimbabwe and to engage in acts of civil disobedience and or resistance to any law during the anticipated national protests by anti-government movements.

“Accused were also trained on how to operate small arms and to evade arrest during civil unrest. Moreso, accused were taught on counter-intelligence and acts of terrorism.”

Prosecutors said upon their arrest at the airport, personal computers and mobile phones “which contain subversive materials were recovered from accused and were sent to POTRAZ for extraction of evidence and can be produced as evidence.”

The prosecutors also said they had recovered hand-written notes which would be produced as evidence.

On Thursday, Britain’s ambassador met the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), who are representing the five and many other activists, and emphasised the need for civil society groups to be allowed to operate without hindrance.

She tweeted: “I met the ZLHR in Harare today. So impressed by the work they’ve done for years fighting for protection of human rights and for due process to be followed. The UK believes firmly in the vital role citizens and civil society have to play in a more prosperous and democratic Zimbabwe.”