A Zimbabwean pastor, Evan Mawarire, has been arrested yesterday, February 1, at the airport for planning to overthrow President Robert Mugabe's government after calling for protests.
Reuters reports that Mawarire was arrested at the airport when he flew home from the United States. This is the second time he would be arrested. He was previously arrested and charged last July, but was freed by a magistrate's court which said police had not followed procedure.
Evan Mawarire
When he was freed by the court in July, police had said they still wanted to file more charges against Mawarire. He travelled to South Africa and then the United States, where he had been living with his family since July. His absence drew condemnation from supporters, who accused him of abandoning them when his leadership was needed.
Mawarire's lawyer, Harrison Nkomo, claimed that the pastor had been arrested at Harare's airport and was taken to the capital's central police station.
Confirming the arrest, the police spokeswoman, Charity Charamba, said the pastor had an outstanding warrant after failing to appear in court last year. She did not provide more details.
"The law will always catch up with you even if you go away. Mawarire had a warrant of arrest against him," Charamba said.
Mawarire became popular after posting a video online last year which went viral. In the video, he's seen ranting about the state of Zimbabwe and urging citizens to hold the government to account.
