News / National
Sex workers languish in prison after failing to raise $200 for bail
12 Jul 2013 at 05:23hrs | Views
SCORES of sex workers arrested in Harare last Friday are still languishing in prison after failing to raise $200 for bail with rights lawyers saying the amount was exorbitant.
The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights say 53 women were arrested and beaten up after the police embarked on an exercise code-named "Operation Zvanyanya" aimed at flushing out sex workers from the Avenues area and lodges in the city centre.
They were charged on Monday for soliciting even though their lawyers say many of them were taken from private lodges.
One of their lawyers, Kennedy Masiye from the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, told SW Radio Africa: "They were assaulted while in custody and were denied sanitary wear for more than 48 hours."
Zimbabwean laws criminalise solicitation in public places but Masiye said the majority of his clients were taken from their lodges.
"They were privately booked in their rooms and this was an outright invasion of their privacy," he said.
The lawyer also said the police action is targeting women and is purely discriminatory as their male clients were not arrested.
Thirty-seven of the arrested women who pleaded guilty to the charges have not been able to raise the fines and the remaining sixteen pleaded not guilty and were granted $200 bail.
Rights activists say many of them are forced into this trade because of economic hardships. They are expected to appear in court on Friday.
The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights say 53 women were arrested and beaten up after the police embarked on an exercise code-named "Operation Zvanyanya" aimed at flushing out sex workers from the Avenues area and lodges in the city centre.
They were charged on Monday for soliciting even though their lawyers say many of them were taken from private lodges.
One of their lawyers, Kennedy Masiye from the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, told SW Radio Africa: "They were assaulted while in custody and were denied sanitary wear for more than 48 hours."
"They were privately booked in their rooms and this was an outright invasion of their privacy," he said.
The lawyer also said the police action is targeting women and is purely discriminatory as their male clients were not arrested.
Thirty-seven of the arrested women who pleaded guilty to the charges have not been able to raise the fines and the remaining sixteen pleaded not guilty and were granted $200 bail.
Rights activists say many of them are forced into this trade because of economic hardships. They are expected to appear in court on Friday.
Source - SW Radio
