Court orders police to return Holland & Kwinjeh passports

By Violet Gonda
21 March 2007

A court has ordered the police to release MDC officials Sekai Holland and her colleague Grace Kwinjeh, who were being held under armed police guard at the Avenues Clinic. The two, who were part of the group of pro-democracy activists who were arrested and assaulted recently, were being blocked from travelling to seek urgent medical treatment in South Africa. Sekai’s husband Jim said they sought the order so that the two would be free to travel. He said the passports have been returned and the armed police have left the hospital.

The activists are supposed to travel to South Africa on Thursday, but Jim Holland said he did not have confidence that the police would comply as this was the third time the courts had ordered the release of the opposition officials.

A statement by the Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights (ZADHR), said Holland suffered multiple fractures to her left leg and left arm, severe, extensive and multiple soft tissue injuries to the back, shoulders, arms, buttocks and thighs. The group said Holland’s injuries were also worsened by denial of timely access to medical treatment which led to an infection of deep soft tissue in her left leg.

They said Kwinjeh sustained a split right ear lobe, severe extensive and multiple soft tissue injuries to the back, shoulders, arms, buttocks and thighs and a brain contusion.