Tendai Biti freed, lawyer says
The attempt by military intelligence agents to capture opposition MDC Alliance principal Tendai Biti at the Zimbabwe-Zambia border proved unsuccessful, with reports suggesting he is now in Zambia where he is expected to seek political asylum.
Lawyer Denford Halimani says Biti was released after being arrested while trying to enter Zambia.
He said details are not immediately clear on the circumstances around Biti’s release but the lawyer can confirm that he is now on Zambian soil.
Outrage quickly followed Biti’s arrest on Wednesday morning.
Biti is part of the opposition MDC Alliance that has denounced as fraud last week’s election win of President Emmerson Mnangagwa. The party says it will challenge the election results in court.
Last week Biti declared, before official election results were announced, that opposition leader Nelson Chamisa had won the vote, a claim also made by Chamisa himself.
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission said it is illegal to announce results before its own official pronouncement. Associated Press
