In a disappointing turn of events, three Zimbabwean activists who were forcefully removed from an airplane last month have been denied bail on the eve of a prominent international summit in the country. Robson Chere, Namatai Kwekweza, and Samuel Gwenzi were charged with disorderly conduct for protesting outside a court in June regarding the arrest of numerous opposition supporters.

The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) revealed that the magistrate ruled against granting bail, citing concerns that the activists were likely to abscond, potentially committing additional offenses and causing public unrest. According to the trio's lawyer, they were held for several hours without access to legal representation and were subjected to torture soon after their arrest.

The three activists, who were bound for Victoria Falls to attend a conference, were forcibly taken off the domestic flight. During Mr. Chere's initial court appearance, the leader of a teachers' union appeared with bloodstained clothes and visibly in pain. Meanwhile, Ms. Kwekweza, a women's rights advocate, stated that she was not even in the country at the time of the alleged offense. Her lawyer shared that she had endured the traumatic experience of having a boot shoved into her mouth during questioning. Similarly, Mr. Gwenzi, a local councilor and human rights activist, had allegedly received threats against his family from his interrogators.

The arrest of the activists has prompted outrage from UN-appointed human rights experts, who have called for their immediate release and the dropping of all charges. However, with Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa set to assume the chairmanship of the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) on Saturday, the timing of these events raises concerns.

As Sadc leaders gather in the capital city of Harare for the summit, more than 160 individuals, including opposition politicians, activists, and union leaders, have been arrested by Zimbabwean authorities since mid-June, according to human rights groups. Both Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have documented evidence of torture and view these arrests as a troubling signal for Sadc's commitment to upholding human rights under President Mnangagwa's leadership.

In a joint statement, the two rights groups urged Sadc leaders to condemn the ongoing human rights violations in Zimbabwe and advocate for the release of all those who have been unjustly detained. Recently, two politicians aligned with the main opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) were also arrested. Prosecutors have now admitted to lacking sufficient evidence, stating that these individuals will be returning home.

The denial of bail to the three activists has further exacerbated concerns about the deteriorating human rights situation in Zimbabwe. As international attention is drawn to the upcoming Sadc summit, the fate of those detained and the call for greater accountability in Zimbabwe loom large on the agenda.