Zimbabwe journalist tells court he was tortured in custody, framed

Harare/Johannesburg - A Zimbabwean freelance journalist facing charges of
banditry and the bombing of police stations said Thursday he was tortured
and had his equipment seized by unknown men when he was taken into custody.

Andrison Manyere was one of eight detainees - mostly political and rights
activists - who appeared in the Harare magistrate court.

'I do not know where I was taken to for nine days,' Manyere told the court.

The state alleges that 48 rounds of ammunition had been found at the
journalist's home.

'If they indeed found them, it is them - the abductors - that placed them in
my home since after assaulting me they said they were going to my home,'
Manyere said.

'The ammunition I know is my camera, a laptop and some tapes which they took
during my absence,' he added.

The eight are among 32 rights activists known to be in police detention
after allegedly being abducted between October and December. Prominent
rights campaigner Jestina Mukoko was also being held.

Charges of banditry or recruiting for banditry and bombings have been
brought against them.

Lawyers for the group have been pushing for their release, arguing that they
were kidnapped by state agents. The Supreme Court is expected to rule on the
legality of their arrest and detention. No date has been set for the
hearing.

The accused say they have been tortured and are in need of medical
attention. The High Court last month ordered their release to a private
clinic, but the state insists they be treated at a prison clinic.

Mukoko, the director of the Zimbabwe Peace Project, was taken from her home
at dawn on December 3 by men she alleges were state agents. Her whereabouts
remained unknown until she was brought before a Harare magistrate on
December 24 to face charges.