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Human rights Lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa clashed with the Police at Rotten Row Court on Tuesday after they denied her entry into the court.
Police officers blocked the entrance while asking for her identificaion.
Speaking at the blocked entrance Mtetwa said that she has an ID and every right of entrance and the Police had no right to block her entrance.
“ I have an ID , you have no right to block me , the court officials know me as i come here everyday and I’m entitled to defend my rights, “ she said.
Beatrice Mtetwa has over the past years represented journalists, human rights campaigners and opposition leaders accused of plotting against the government.
Harare magistrate Ngoni Nduna on 18 August 2020 barred lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa from representing journalist Hopewell Chin’ono who is in custody on charges of inciting public violence.
She was barred on allegations that she prosecuted for comments posted on a Facebook page.
Mtetwa said the ruling was meant to instill fear in human rights Lawyers and discourage the from taking cases to do with human rights.
“The intention is to stop us defending a certain type of client it means the right to legal representation has been severely curtailed and it has been curtailed by the courts” she said.
Meanwhile , Southern Africa Women Human Rights Defenders (SAWHRDN) on Monday called on the authorities in Zimbabwe to immediately stop persecuting Ms. Beatrice Mtetwa and desist from using threats of contempt of court and disbarment to suppress freedom of expression and her rights as a lawyer to represent her clients without any impediment from the state.
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