US citizen held in Zimbabwe for insulting Mugabe

Nairobi Nov 4 (IANS) The Zimbabwe Police has arrested a US citizen residing in the country over allegations that she insulted President Robert Mugabe her Attorneys said.

Security forces searched the house of Martha O Donovan Director of the satirical media outlet Magamba TV and seized electronic devices including her laptop according to Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) Efe news reported.

O Donovan is accused of referring to Mugabe when she tweeted about a "Goblin" whose wife and step-sons imported an expensive car.

ZLHR noted that the tweet did not mention Mugabe by name.

Insulting Mugabe who has been in power since Zimbabwe officially became independent from Britain in 1980 is a crime in the country punishable by fine or jail time.

--IANS
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