http://abcnews.go.com/Internat...ting-mugabe-50904319



US citizen arrested in Zimbabwe, accused of insulting Mugabe

By FARAI MUTSAKA, ASSOCIATED PRESS HARARE, Zimbabwe — Nov 3, 2017, 11:21 AM ET


Zimbabwe police have arrested a United States citizen for allegedly insulting President Robert Mugabe on Twitter as a "sick man," lawyers said Friday.

This is the first arrest made since Mugabe last month appointed a minister for cybersecurity, the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights said. That move has been criticized by activists as aimed at clamping down on social media users. Zimbabwe was shaken last year by the biggest anti-government protests in a decade.

Police picked up Martha O'Donovan on Friday morning, U.S. Embassy spokesman David McGuire told The Associated Press.

Police accuse O'Donovan of tweeting "We are being led by a selfish and sick man," from the Twitter handle @matigary, said her lawyer, Obey Shava with Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights. The tweet had a photo illustration of the 93-year-old Mugabe with a catheter, the charge sheet says.

O'Donovan has been charged with undermining the authority of or insulting the president, Shava said.

"I deny the allegations leveled against me as baseless and malicious," O'Donovan said in a signed statement shown to the AP.

O'Donovan had been working with local social media outlet Magamba TV, whose target audience is youth, Shava said. The outlet describes itself as producing "satirical comedy sensations."

Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights says it has represented nearly 200 people charged for allegedly insulting Mugabe, the world's oldest head of state, in recent years. Frustration is growing in the once-prosperous southern African nation as the economy collapses.

"Concerned to hear of Martha O'Donovan's arrest and ongoing detention. #Mugabe must stop arresting journalists #FreeMartha," the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists tweeted Friday.

Martha doesn't sound like the sharpest knife in the drawer.

I have a friend in Zim who has been arrested for the insulting the president as well. The case has drug on for months.

I wonder if this new department will start issuing INTERPOL arrest warrants for people who have insulted him worldwide?

It will be the busiest government department ever created!

quote:

posted document.write('<nobr>'+ myTimeZone('Fri, 03 Nov 2017 20:51:16 GMT-0700', '04 November 2017 08:51')+'</nobr>');04 November 2017 08:5104 November 2017 08:51Hide PostI wonder if this new department will start issuing INTERPOL arrest warrants for people who have insulted him worldwide? It will be the busiest government department ever created!

We'll meet each other face to face in a Zim. prison.

Dave

My first attempt at entering a quote didn't work out so well.

Dave

Maybe...just maybe some americans need to wake up and smell the coffee and learn to keep their mouths shut..?

quote:

Originally posted by Pondoro:
Maybe...just maybe some americans need to wake up and smell the coffee and learn to keep their mouths shut..?

Good luck, eh?

Yeah right...

quote:

Originally posted by Pondoro:
Maybe...just maybe some americans need to wake up and smell the coffee and learn to keep their mouths shut..?

Yes like they should have with Hitler, Japan's Emperor, et al, and now that idiot with the stylish haircut residing in NK.

Sure, keep your mouth shut, be bummer if you have forgo a safari to a country with a butcher as it's leader.

If you read what she said, it doesn't sound like an American. She said, "We are being led by....."

Americans aren't being led by Mugabe.

Something seems odd.

quote:

Originally posted by wasbeeman:
Martha doesn't sound like the sharpest knife in the drawer.

Anybody who visits Zimbabwe could be categorized that way.

Grizz

quote:

Originally posted by eagle27:


Yes like they should have with Hitler, Japan's Emperor, et al, and now that idiot with the stylish haircut residing in NK.

Sure, keep your mouth shut, be bummer if you have forgo a safari to a country with a butcher as it's leader.

You miss the point. Its not that one should not stand up to tyrants. If you post material that is illegal in the country where you are posting you kind of have to expect to face the consequences. Just because you are an American does not exempt from the laws of the country in which you are residing albeit temporarily.

If you don't like the laws and if you cannot follow them DO NOT go there.

Just like people who visit the US. They should be held to the same standard.

People that complain about US citizens violating local laws of foreign countries always seem to have problems when foreigners come to the US and violate our "local" laws.

quote:

Originally posted by Grizzly Adams:

quote:

Originally posted by wasbeeman:
Martha doesn't sound like the sharpest knife in the drawer.

Anybody who visits Zimbabwe could be categorized that way.

Grizz

Why do you say that? I have been many times without any problems. I know many people who have done the same. Beg for trouble and it will find you.

I've been to Zim about a dozen times since 1994 and feel very safe there. That said, I follow their rules, smile and am polite to anyone in uniform, don't bad mouth the country or its leader, and don't take photos of anyone in uniform. I have always been treated very well in return. Even when I asked a police officer at a road block last July why they were only stopping white people. He was very nice, smiled, and politely suggested I take it up with the minister of finance. Never had a problem there. Am scheduled to return in 2018 and 2019.
Cal

I am told by a friend in Zim that she re-tweeted a call to boycott work and protest. I have no reason to doubt this person.

If true, this comes under the category of begging for trouble.

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
I am told by a friend in Zim that she re-tweeted a call to boycott work and protest. I have no reason to doubt this person.

If true, this comes under the category of begging for trouble.

As a general rule a lot of Americans are just plain stupid when it comes to international travel.

Nothing from the US transfers over.

It is stupid to assume believe or work under the assumption that what we do or can do in the US is applicable overseas.

I can call trump a orange buffoon and Hillary a crook and have zero impact. Only directly threatening a president with physical harm will bring any government notice.

You can't do that in most countries.

Best to leave politics out especially local politics aimed or targeted at local. If you want to bitch go to arpf - no one give a f@ck about what is said there.

Mike

One thing I would recommend is don't talk zim politics with you ph and other zim locals on whatsapp or social media.

Some of the hunting professionals are not the smartest knives in the kitchen and chatter about this stuff on whatsapp and social media.

If zim governments wants to know something - they don't have to hack anything. Just get one genius to open this phone, social media or whatsapp account and follow the chain.

Keep local politics to talking around the Mopani fire.

Mike

WhatsApp is encrypted though isn't Mike? Thus the only way for them to see it is to physically gain access...which I am sure they can.

But if it is one on one and you delete...WhatsApp is a pretty safe way to communicate.

A guy in Zim sent me part of the indictment. This woman was nuts.

"a group dedicated "to use creative forms of youth activism to open up democratic space in Zimbabwe,"

Well, she certainly used a very creative form in gaining unwanted attention.

No surprise therefore that the local Zimbos offer no comments on the political situation - "brains before brawn"

I like the bit where she says "WE are being led...."!

Is she Zimbabwean?

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
I like the bit where she says "WE are being led...."!

Is she Zimbabwean?

That was my point earlier.

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
I like the bit where she says "WE are being led...."!

Is she Zimbabwean?

That was my point earlier.

The main article quotes her as being a US citizen so that automatically disqualifies her as being Zimbabwean.

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:
WhatsApp is encrypted though isn't Mike? Thus the only way for them to see it is to physically gain access...which I am sure they can.

But if it is one on one and you delete...WhatsApp is a pretty safe way to communicate.

It's not passive monitoring but non passive/ coerced. Give me your phone and password.

Look at the whatsapp chats. If not deleted it becomes a chain. If you are in a group - all participant information is there.

Also the default in whatsapp is pictures drop into your photo library. So funny political cartoons need to be deleted twice.

People often forget to delete.

I know where similar backward network building by authorities (non political not in zim) has been done with no hackling beyond getting a single open (with force) phone.

Mike

quote:

Originally posted by Beretta682E:

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:
WhatsApp is encrypted though isn't Mike? Thus the only way for them to see it is to physically gain access...which I am sure they can.

But if it is one on one and you delete...WhatsApp is a pretty safe way to communicate.

It's not passive monitoring but non passive/ coerced. Give me your phone and password.

Look at the whatsapp chats. If not deleted it becomes a chain. If you are in a group - all participant information is there.

Also the default in whatsapp is pictures drop into your photo library. So funny political cartoons need to be deleted twice.

People often forget to delete.

I know where similar backward network building by authorities (non political not in zim) has been done with no hackling beyond getting a single open (with force) phone.

Mike

I hear you Mike and due diligence is certainly warranted.

Ruark's writing got him banned from Kenya.

Freedom of speech is a great thing, but Americans need to realize this is an exceptional place in that regard.

And even here, sometimes, it's better, much better, to just keep your mouth shut.

You will only get trouble here if you ask for it. Tjis chick is an activist and we know what they are like. She's been causing trouble here for some time. You say the king is a fink you're going to the dungeon.

And yes, WhatsApp and Telegram are secure. Also use a VPN like Browsec.

http://www.nj.com/news/index.s...weeting_preside.html


This has a lot more information.

.

Hope someone remembers to let her out now that the old codger is gone !

.

Piss on her. She deserves what she gets. Sick and tired of millenials going to foreign countries and acting like assholes.

quote:

Originally posted by drj:
Piss on her. She deserves what she gets. Sick and tired of millenials going to foreign countries and acting like assholes.

+1

quote:

Originally posted by drj:
Piss on her. She deserves what she gets. Sick and tired of millenials going to foreign countries and acting like assholes.

May be we should also tell the rest of West’s low lives who have nothing better to do than dictate everything that should go on in Africa too!

What she did was certainly stupid. Perhaps she learned the freedoms she has in the US aren't nearly as bad as she thought they were.

What is rather amusing is the simple fact that people visiting other countries forget that they are guests there.

Not much different than being in someone else’s house.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
What is rather amusing is the simple fact that people visiting other countries forget that they are guests there.

Not much different than being in someone else’s house.

Exactly Saeed. Spot on.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

quote:

Originally posted by drj:
Piss on her. She deserves what she gets. Sick and tired of millenials going to foreign countries and acting like assholes.

May be we should also tell the rest of West’s low lives who have nothing better to do than dictate everything that should go on in Africa too!

She and many others like her must be staunch fans of Johnny Cash replaying their favourite song "One Piece at a Time" .....

"Every day I'd watch them beauties roll by and sometimes I'd hang my head and cry 'cause I always wanted one that was long and black". (Cadillacs of course).