On October 28th 2004, Roy Bennett (MDC MP for Chimanimani) was sentenced by the Parliament of Zimbabwe to an effective one-year in prison with labour. This sentence is unprecedented throughout the world.

His ‘crime’ was to push over the Minister of Justice, Patrick Chinamasa, in Parliament after Chinamasa had once again insulted and provoked Roy by calling his late Father and Grandfather “thieves and murderers”.

This “offence” would have attracted a maximum US$15.00 fine had he been found guilty in a Zimbabwean court, but would more likely have been cautioned.

Instead, Parliament used its own powers to get a biased committee dominated by ZANU PF to “investigate” the incident. Then in a vote, which was divided down party political lines, Roy received this iniquitous sentence of imprisonment. The Parliamentary procedures used to undertake this action are suspect and under appeal.

This is the culmination of over four years of relentless political persecution against Roy, his family, friends, workers and colleagues. In that time Roy has been arrested twice and assaulted three times. Roy’s wife Heather suffered a miscarriage when she was held hostage and then forcibly and illegally evicted from their home by ZANU PF supporters. Two of the men who worked for Roy have been murdered by members of the security forces and another was shot and wounded. Two young female workers have been raped.

Hundreds more workers and constituents in Chimanimani (eastern Zimbabwe) have been viciously beaten by State agents or detained without charge. None of the ZANU PF and State agents responsible for these crimes have been arrested or prosecuted.

More than 800 people have been forcibly evicted from their homes in Chimanimani and the Bennetts’ house has been looted and vandalised. They have been forced off two properties and lost almost all their possessions and capital. State agents have also killed or stolen hundreds of cows and have stolen more than100 tons of coffee.

Roy has pursued every legal avenue to protect his staff, constituents and family members from state harassment. No less than six court orders have been granted in Roy’s favour. The government, the police, the army, the Central Intelligence Organisation and ZANU-PF war veterans have ignored each order with impunity.

On at least two occasions President Robert Mugabe has threatened Roy publicly and encouraged ZANU-PF supporters to force him from his constituency. Many other MDC MPs have been attacked, beaten or illegally detained by State agents.

Roy has documented most attacks against himself and his staff. He has hundreds of affidavits, documents, autopsy reports and photographs chronicling events over the past five years.

He is now being kept in appalling conditions in a Zimbabwean prison. He is a victim of political persecution. He is a prisoner of conscience.


"We do not need titles or fancy cars. We just need the courage to stand up, and oppose the oppression we face." "We cannot fear the police officer and the prison cell. They too feel shame at their actions, at their orders. Let them try and lock us all up. They cannot." Roy Bennett, August 2003