(25 Jun 2009) SHOTLIST
1. Wide of Supreme Court building
2. Tilt down from Zimbabwean flag to Supreme Court sign on wall
3. Human rights campaigner Jestina Mukoko surrounded by lawyers and well wishers
4. Close up of cameraman
5. SOUNDBITE: (English) Jestina Mukoko, Human rights campaigner:
"The judgement has been reserved."
6. Beatrice Mtetwa, Mukoko's lawyer, walking out of court
7. SOUNDBITE: (English) Beatrice Mtetwa, Lawyer of Jestina Mukoko:
"If the constitutional court decides that if you seek to get evidence in the manner that they did in this case, and it comes out strongly in favour of individual rights, perhaps the police will understand that abducting, torturing is not the way to do business in the courts because that evidence will be rejected by the courts."
8. Mukoko hugging an unidentified woman
STORYLINE:
There were reports from Harare on Thursday that Zimbabwe's Supreme Court indefinitely reserved judgement in a constitutional challenge filed by a prominent human rights campaigner to determine an alleged series of violations of her constitutional rights at the hands of state security agents.
"The judgement has been reserved," said Mukoko upon leaving the court in Harare Thursday.
Jestina Mukoko - who is accused of conspiring to overthrow President Robert Mugabe's previous administration - was taken from her home in early December 2008 and held in undisclosed locations until she was jailed on December 23.
For weeks after her abduction, police denied any knowledge of her whereabouts but state attorneys conceded in January that security officials were responsible.
Mukoko has testified that she was tortured during that time and and lawyers said they have presented evidence to support this.
Police and prosecutors have denied such mistreatment.
Mukoko is seeking a permanent stay of proceedings against her.
"Perhaps the police will understand that abducting, torturing is not the way to do business in the courts because that evidence will be rejected by the courts," Mukoko's lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa said.
Her trial for was scheduled for early July, local media reported. If convicted of plotting to overthrow Mugabe's previous administration, she may face the death penalty.
Mukoko is the head of a group known as the Zimbabwe Peace Project.
The accusations against Mukoko have been dismissed by many as fabrication during a time activists were holding nationwide protests against the country's deepening economic and health crises.
According to The Herald, the state-run daily, police said the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), whilst an opposition party, was training fighters in Botswana and that Mukoko and a number of other activists with the MDC would be charged with attempting to recruit fighters to overthrow the president.
Zimbabwean officials have repeatedly made such accusations, which have been denied by Botswana and the MDC.
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