Was Tsvangirai found guilty?

The government had found Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai guilty of treason and he was to be sentenced to death but it was still deliberating and could be open to outside pressure.

This was contained in a cable dispatched by the United States embassy in Harare after the embassy had been informed that judgment had been postponed.

According to the embassy “sensitive reporting corroborated indirectly by outside sources, suggested that the GOZ had wired a guilty verdict and death sentence”.

It did not say how the government came in when the case was before a High Court judge.

“The postponement may suggest that the GOZ is deliberating further on the matter and could be open to outside pressure,” the embassy said. “In any event, a deferred decision continues to serve ruling party purposes by absorbing the MDC leader’s attention and resources and publicly reinforcing the opposition’s apparent impotence.”

Full cable:

Viewing cable 04HARARE1205, TREASON VERDICT REPORTEDLY DEFERRED

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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

S E C R E T HARARE 001205

SIPDIS

NOFORN

NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR C. COURVELLE, D. TEITELBAUM

LONDON FOR C. GURNEY

PARIS FOR C. NEARY

NAIROBI FOR T. PFLAUMER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/20/2009

TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM ZI MDC

SUBJECT: TREASON VERDICT REPORTEDLY DEFERRED

REF: HARARE 1201

Classified By: Political Officer Win Dayton Under Section 1.5 b/d

¶1. (SBU) MDC President Morgan Tsvangirai’s lawyers informed

the Embassy July 20 that the High Court had advised them that

day that judgment in Tsvangirai’s treason trial would not be

rendered July 29, as earlier expected. The court did not

indicate a new date for the judgment’s release or a reason

for the postponement.

¶2. (S/NF) COMMENT: Sensitive reporting (septel),

corroborated indirectly by outside sources, suggested that

the GOZ had wired a guilty verdict and death sentence. The

postponement may suggest that the GOZ is deliberating further

on the matter and could be open to outside pressure. In any

event, a deferred decision continues to serve ruling party

purposes by absorbing the MDC leader’s attention and

resources and publicly reinforcing the opposition’s apparent

impotence.

SULLIVAN

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