Zimbabwe court overturns ban on journalist’s lawyer

Zimbabwe’s High Court has overturned a magistrate’s ruling barring a prominent human rights lawyer from representing freelance journalist Hopewell Chin’ono in his highly publicised trial.

His arrest in July on charges of inciting public violence by supporting anti-corruption protests was widely condemned.

In August, a magistrate, Ngoni Nduna, banned Beatrice Mtetwa from representing Chin’ono for allegedly displaying unprofessional conduct. She denied the accusation.

According to the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, the High Court also ordered that the magistrate recuse himself from the trial expected to begin next year.