Free Republic

The treason trial of a key opposition leader in Zimbabwe has been postponed for six weeks, his lawyer said Monday. Morgan Tsvangirai is accused of plotting the assassination of longtime ruler President Robert Mugabe. He denies the charges. The trial, the longest in Zimbabwe's legal history, began in February. In recess for the last month, it had been scheduled to resume Monday with Tsvangirai giving evidence in High Court. But Innocent Chagonda, his lawyer, said the hearing was postponed until Oct. 27. Court officials, noting the trial had delayed other court business, said presiding Judge Paddington Garwe would not be...

Tsvangirai says he is being framed Lawyers defending Zimbabwe's opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai on treason charges have accused the key prosecution witness of being a serial fraudster. They say that Canada-based political consultant Ari Ben-Menashe video-taped a meeting with Mr Tsvangirai as part of a government plot to stifle the opposition. Mr Tsvangirai and two colleagues from the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) pleaded not guilty to treason charges when the trial began on Monday. Mr Ben-Menashe, a former Israeli intelligence officer, says the three contracted him to assassinate President Robert Mugabe before last year's elections. Mr Mugabe won but...