By Court Reporter
Advocate Fadzayi Mahere, the spokesperson for the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), has lodged an appeal against her conviction and sentence for allegedly publishing falsehoods.
Mahere recently found guilty and fined US$500 after claiming that the police had beaten a baby to death in Harare’s Central Business District in 2020.
However, the magistrate cleared her of promoting and inciting public violence, stating that her tweet was intended to smear the police’s image.
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), representing Mahere, announced that she has requested that the High Court reverse her conviction and sentence for communicating falsehoods prejudicial to the state.
“Constitutional lawyer and opposition @CCCZimbabwe spokesperson Advocate Fadzayi Mahere has asked the High Court to overturn her conviction and sentence for allegedly publishing or communicating falsehoods prejudicial to the state,” wrote ZLHR
In her appeal, Mahere claimed that the magistrate made several errors in his decision, including accepting the validity of a provision that was declared invalid under the previous constitution.
Additionally, she accused the magistrate of ignoring the fact that she was targeted for prosecution, violating her right to equality before the law.
Mahere also argued that the US$500 fine was excessively high and violated her right to freedom of expression.
Consequently, she wants the High Court to annul her conviction and sentence.
