Good News for January 2014

ZIMBABWE



Beatrice Mtetwa

The renowned Zimbabwean human rights lawyer was arrested in March 2013 and detained for 8 days after insisting that police officers show her a search warrant as they searched the house of one of her clients. She was found not guilty of "obstructing the course of justice'"



Abel Chikomo

The director of the Zimbabwean Human Rights NGO Forum was cleared of charges of running an 'illegal' organisation. He was first brought to court in 2011, but his trial had many postponements before it was revived in the run-up to the July election. He continuously denied the charges.



Emmerson Mnangagwa, Minister of Justice, Zimbabwe

In October 2013, the new Minister of Justice publicly criticised the use of the death penalty, during an event organised by AI Zimbabwe. He told the audience "as someone who has been on death row myself and only saved by an 'age' technicality, I believe our justice delivery system must rid itself of this odious and obnoxious provision."



MEXICO



Adela Gomez

This activist in Chiapas had been imprisoned and in desperate need of medical care for a chronic bone disease and second-degree burns. Now  released on 18th October 2013, Adela has publicly thanked all those who supported her during her detention. Her partner and fellow activist Noe Hernandez remains in custody.