Zimbabwean Opposition Leader Job Sikhala Released After Nearly 600 Days in Pretrial Detention

Despite a Two-Year Sentence for Inciting Violence, Sikhala's Term Was Suspended Due to Time Served; Lawyers Plan to Appeal

Zimbabwean opposition leader Job Sikhala has been released after spending nearly 600 days in pretrial detention on charges of inciting public violence.
Sikhala, a former member of parliament for the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), was accused of inciting violence in protests following the death of CCC supporter Moreblessing Ali.
Despite receiving a two-year prison sentence, Sikhala's term was suspended due to the time he had already spent in jail. His lawyers plan to appeal the conviction.
While in detention, Sikhala's health deteriorated, leading to surgery. He was also subjected to solitary confinement and kept in leg irons.
Human Rights Watch and other organizations have criticized the Zimbabwean authorities for politically motivated arrests and detentions, calling for an end to the misuse of law against opposition politicians and critics of the government.