Armed riot police raided the headquarters of Zimbabwe's main opposition party today and detained about 100 people in the biggest crackdown on the MDC since elections last month.
The Movement for Democratic Change says it defeated President Robert Mugabe in the March 29th elections as well as ending his party's 28-year hold on parliament.
A delay to the presidential result and a recount of some parliamentary votes has brought growing international pressure on Mr Mugabe (84) and stoked fears of bloodshed in a country already suffering an economic collapse.
Dozens of riot police detained the MDC supporters who were bundled into a crowded police bus before being taken away, a witness said.
An MDC supporter from the rural north of the country waits for medical attention for severe burns at a clinic in Harare yesterday. Rights groups and churches have confirmed MDC charges that there is a massive campaign of violence against opposition supporters following the disputed election held on March 29th.
MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa said among those detained were supporters who had come to the party headquarters after being hurt in what the opposition calls a post-election campaign of violence by Mugabe's followers.
"They took everyone in the building, including those who had come just to seek medical care. They are trying to destroy evidence of their brutality," Mr Chamisa said.
He said police also took some computers.
According to Amnesty International, police officers also raided the offices of the Zimbabwe Elections Support Network (ZESN) in Harare.
The organisation said the police had a search warrant to search for “subversive material likely to cause the overthrow of a constitutionally-elected government”, and that they are looking for Ms Rindai Chipfunde-Vava, national director of the ZESN, and chairman Noel Kututwa.
“The Zimbabwean police must stop harassing political and human rights activists immediately and act to protect victims of post-election violence,” Amnesty International said.
Police said the MDC raid targeted people who had sought refuge at the opposition headquarters after having "committed crimes" outside Harare.
"Some of them are not office workers at all. We are busy screening them. There are some cases we are investigating and we will release those who have not committed any crime," said police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena.
Mr Mugabe, who accuses the opposition of conspiring with his Western critics to bring him down, has faced growing pressure from southern African neighbours over the election deadlock.
MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai has said he won the presidential poll and accused Mr Mugabe of delaying results to rig victory and keep his hold over Zimbabwe, whose economy lies in ruins with inflation of 165,000 per cent and chronic food and fuel shortages.