Zimbabwe opposition legislator badly beaten

A Zimbabwean opposition legislator was badly beaten yesterday as he tried to travel to Belgium, a day after his colleagues were stopped from taking a medical trip to South Africa, an official from his party said.

Nelson Chamisa, spokesman for the Movement for Democratic Change headed by Morgan Tsvangirai, was at Harare airport on his way to an Africa, Pacific and Carribean-European Union parliamentary meeting when about eight men pounced on him.

"He was badly beaten by men who jumped out of two unmarked cars at the airport," said William Bango, Mr Tsvangirai's spokesman.

Mr Chamisa was receiving treatment at a Harare hospital on his eye and left jaw and had lost a lot of blood, Mr Bango said.

On Saturday, police stopped two other MDC leaders, Sekai Holland and Grace Kwinje, boarding a flight to South Africa for medical checks after they were beaten in police custody a week ago, their lawyer said.

Arthur Mutambara, the leader of a splinter MDC faction, was also stopped from travelling to South Africa, where he spends part of his time working, an MDC official said. The police were not immediately available for comment.

The European Union presidency, which Germany holds, said it was "outraged and deeply concerned" about the treatment of Mr Chamisa and voiced its worries about the other MDC members.

"The presidency condemns these actions by the security forces in the strongest possible terms and calls on the Zimbabwean government to release all detained opposition politicians immediately, to enable them to have access to legal assistance and medical care," it said in a statement.

"It appeals to the government to respect the rule of law and human rights and to refrain from doing anything which might lead to a further escalation of the situation in Zimbabwe."

Police arrested Mr Tsvangirai and dozens of opposition and civic group leaders for holding an illegal rally several days ago, defence lawyers say.

A court hearing on Tuesday was cancelled after a state prosecutor ordered Mr Tsvangirai and others be treated in hospital.