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Zimbabwe's protesting pastor freed on bail

Xinhua, February 9, 2017 Adjust font size:

A Zimbabwean high court judge on Wednesday granted bail to a pastor who was arrested for organizing anti-government protests last year.

The pastor, Evan Mawarire, was arrested last Wednesday when he arrived in the country from the United States.

Judge Clement Phiri said Mawarire, who had been in police detention since Friday, should be released on 300 U.S. dollars bail and he must surrender his passport and report to police twice a week.

Mawarire is facing charges of subverting a constitutionally-elected government, a charge that carries 20 years in prison if convicted.

While in the United States, the pastor organized an anti-Mugabe protest during the United Nations General Assembly meeting that reportedly flopped.

The pastor launched #ThisFlag protest movement on social media, leading to his arrest in July on charges of trying to overthrow President Robert Mugabe's government, but he was freed by a magistrate court that said police had not followed procedure. Endit