Zimbabwean opposition leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai returned to court today to face a second treason case three weeks after being acquitted of plotting to assassinate President Robert Mugabe.
The court remanded the case until January 13th - just weeks away from general elections due in March - although prosecutors gave no indication of when a full trial might start.
In the past, state prosecutors have said the second trial could not begin while the first trial was still going on.
Mr Tsvangirai, head of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), faces separate treason charges linked to anti-government protests he tried to organise in June 2003 - which the MDC said were a final push to drive Mr Mugabe from power.
Mr Tsvangirai's defence lawyer said his team was considering whether to press prosecutors either to set a trial date or to ask the court to drop the case.
Zimbabwe's High Court acquitted Mr Tsvangirai on October 15th on charges of plotting to assassinate Mr Mugabe and seize power ahead of a presidential election in 2002, saying the state had failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.
The government said it would appeal against that verdict within weeks.
Mr Tsvangirai's MDC party said the move showed Mr Mugabe's government was pursuing a political vendetta against the opposition leader. The state's appeal is unlikely to be heard for several months.