Zimbabwe police charge US woman over 'anti-Mugabe tweet'

The arrest is the first of its kind since the country's cyber ministery was created last year

Police charged an American woman over a tweet that allegedly insulted Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe.

Martha O’Donovan, 25, faces charges of insulting the president and plotting to overthrow the government after calling Mugabe a “selfish man and sick man”.

 

The tweet in question, dated 11 October, included an illustration of a man using a catheter, and a photo of Mr Mugabe with a circle drawn around his midsection.

Her charges, which she has since denied, carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

Her arrest appears to be the "first Twitter-related arrest” since the country’s cyber ministry was created last year.

"This arrest marks the start of a sinister new chapter in the Zimbabwean government's clampdown on freedom of speech, and the new battleground is social media," said Amnesty International's deputy regional director, Muleya Mwananyanda.

The US embassy in Zimbabwe did not immediately return a request for comment.

Last month, the World Health Organisation (WHO) revoked his appointment as a goodwill ambassador after a widespread outcry over human rights concerns.